From Lima To LA
by blue-cornmoon
Summary: With Mercedes pursuing her dreams in Los Angeles and Sam stuck in Lima, the couple try to carry on without each other. A story attempting to fill in the missing gaps in Glee's season 4 (is loosely based off of actual events of the season). Samcedes endgame (obviously!) with Samtina and eventual Mikecedes friendships.
1. Changes

_**Sam's POV**_

With a wide smile plastered on his face, Sam Evans walked down the halls of William McKinley High School. He waved at a few sophomores from the swim team, said hello to Mr. Shue as he rounded the corner and smiled at his friends Brittany Pierce and Blaine Anderson from glee club.

"Just smile and wave," he muttered to himself, "If I can make it through today, everything will be okay."

But it wasn't okay. He was really tired. He hadn't been sleeping very well. When Mercedes broke up with him, he took it really hard. He knew it was for the best, but it still stung. He'd lost her once before and although he'd fought to get her back (and _won!_), he was now back to square one. Sam felt all alone and he just wanted to go home.

He was almost at his locker when he noticed Tina Cohen-Chang near the water fountain. He was about to wave hello when he saw a single tear slide down her cheek.

"Hey," he said softly approaching her from behind. "What's wrong?"

Tina tried to discreetly wipe her eyes before she turned around, but it was too late. "Nothing," she lied smiling sweetly. But her eyes betrayed her. Blinking twice as fast she tried to look Sam in the eye before finally breaking down and collapsing in his arms.

As Sam held her, he looked around. Jacob Ben Israel had just finished his rounds and the crowds of students quickly dissipated. He waited until the last person besides the two of them entered homeroom before he softly whispered, "Tell me what's wrong."

Tina looked up at him. "It's Mike. We broke up this summer and I-I guess I'm still not over him. And walking around these halls, I can't help but remember him...and remember us, you know? I just really, really miss him," she sniffed, tearing up again.

Sam pulled her in for another embrace, rubbing small soothing circles into her back. He knew exactly how she felt. He felt the same way about Mercedes. Walking through these familiar halls, his feelings were always conflicted. These halls represented both the opportunity for love as well as heartache. When he came back from Kentucky, he was determined to get his girl back. It was in these very halls that he'd held her hand and declared his love for her, despite her relationship status. It was here he adorned her with his love as she prepared to head off to Los Angeles. But it was also here where he'd watched her walk away from him with Shane Tinsely. And here where he got his heart broken on Valentine's day. Every time he walked to the end of these halls and passed the auditorium, he thought of Michael and Whitney and every time, his heart broke.

"I know what you mean. Change is hard," he held her closer as her body shook from the sobs. He'd never been particularly close to the girl but in that moment he felt connected to her. Through their mutual heartbreak they shared a special bond. Tina was hurting and he was too. He wanted to do whatever he could to help her out. Maybe she'd be able to help him too. He let her cry for as long as she needed to.

After a few minutes, Tina wiped her eyes and looked up at him again. Her eyes were puffy and red around the rims. She appeared as though she'd been holding onto her pain for a long time. Looking up at him this time she smiled. It was very small, but genuine. "Thanks," she said to the boy.

"No problem," Sam replied, throwing her a slightly lopsided grin.

Tina dabbed away residual tear stains from her eyes with the back of her palms and placed stray strands of hair behind her ear. She cleared her throat before continuing. "So...how are you? How was your summer?"

"Great," he responded with a huge smile.

_Just smile,_ he remind himself. But his smile did not meet his eyes. And Tina noticed.

"Hey, are _**you**_ okay Sam?," she asked looking at him properly for the first time. His green eyes had several bags underneath and lacked the sparkle they usually had.

"Never better," he lied, straining to keep the grin on his face.

Tina raised an eyebrow and gave him a side eye. "Sam! Come on! You look like I felt five minutes ago and I just spilled my guts to you. Don't disrespect me by lying to my face, be straight with me. Is this about Mercedes?"

Sam swallowed, his smile slowly faded and Tina knew she'd struck a nerve.

"Oh my god, it _is_. I'm such an idiot," she said smacking her forehead. "Of course! You must be missing her too."

Sam began to shuffle his feet. His eyes floated down to meet them.

"Look. Sam, if you want, you can talk to me too you know. I'm a great listener."

He nodded as he considered her offer. He knew he needed someone to lean on right now and maybe, just maybe, Tina could be that person. He decided to open up.

"Yes," he admitted. "Yes, this is about Mercedes."

"What happened?"

"She broke up with me.. wait, no- she thought we needed to take a break. She didn't think the long distance thing would be fair to us."

"Have you spoken to her recently?," Tina inquired.

"No... we really didn't end on a good note. She's probably still pissed at me. I sorta lashed out on her," he explained.

"Why don't you call her and tell her you're sorry? I'm sure she'll understand."

"I know, I know. I've thought about calling her for a while now but I just can't bring myself to do it. Even if she does accept my apology, and that's a big if because it was pretty bad, she'll still be miles away and we'll still be over. It's childish and selfish and stupid, I know, but I won't apologize for the way I feel...I-I don't know." Sam looked back down at his feet

He saw Tina's boots come into his line of vision. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, no one says you need to apologize for your feelings. It's okay to be upset. I mean look at me."

Sam chuckled.

"I know what you're going through. I feel the same way about Mike. We both did what we needed to to give the people we love the push they needed to chase their dreams. We did it out of love. We just never accounted for the amount of pain it was going to put us through when they left us. It's not stupid to be upset. It's human"

Sam looked up and met her eyes. He smiled. "Thanks Tina."

She smiled back at him and gave his shoulder a reassuring shake. "Always."

"Guess we're kinda in the same boat then, huh?" Sam cocked his head to the side and smiled.

"Yea I guess so," she agreed. Tina smiled another watery smile.

He nodded as a brief moment of silence passed between them. They were both caught in their own thoughts. After a beat, a plan came to Sam's mind.

"You know what?," Sam began.

"What?", she asked curiously.

"I don't know about you, but I don't really wanna be here right now."

"I don't wanna be here either," Tina admitted.

"Then let's get out of here. Senior ditch day, just you and me," Sam said with a crooked smile.

Tina agreed and the pair grabbed their things before heading off campus in Sam's red pickup truck.

_**Mercedes' POV**_

_*Tap tap tap*_

Mercedes Jones was sitting in her dorm room in front of her brand-new macbook attempting to write one of her three 5 page papers for her Popular Music in American History class. It was only the second week of school and her professor had already assigned **three** papers! Mercedes was a smart girl and a very hard worker, but after a page and a half, she could not for the life of her think of what to type next.

She glared at the screen. She'd been staring at the same page for the last half hour. Sighing, she decided to take a break. Opening up chrome, she quickly logged into Facebook desperate to see what was going on with her friends from glee club. Despite running into Puck every now and then, it had been a while since she'd last seen any of her old classmates and she really missed them.

Her roommate Hanna Marin for the most part was nice and seemed like a cool person, but she sometimes came off as very presumptuous and not too serious about school. Hanna was very outgoing and a frequent party goer and while, she'd been sweet and invited Mercedes along a couple times, lately Mercedes had been way too busy with class to tag along. Because their schedules were completely opposite (Mercedes had early morning classes, Hanna had evening classes), they barely saw each other anymore. And between school, her part time job and daily grind at the indie label, Mercedes barely had time to herself. In a few short weeks, she was feeling overwhelmed and lonely.

Mercedes scrolled through her newsfeed and noticed a photo of Rachel Berry and her dads in front of NYADA's courtyard. Rachel stood in between her dads with a huge grin on her face. The girl was practically beaming! Although she smiled while clicking through the pictures, Mercedes couldn't help but feel slightly jealous. Rachel always knew what she wanted and seemed well on her way to achieving her dreams. Sometimes Mercedes wasn't sure where she was going with hers. Make no mistake, Mercedes knew she was talented and she knew that God had given it to her for a reason, but she still had her moments of doubt. Of course she was very proud of her friend, but after just about three years of being in her spotlight, she found it difficult not to constantly compare her own achievement to Rachel's.

Mercedes eventually came across a picture of Kurt and Rachel in what looked like their own apartment. She lingered on the picture for a moment, smiling a sad, nostalgic smile. It looked like Kurt had finally moved to New York! She became a little sad as she recalled the time they had shared their dreams with one another.

During sophomore year, Kurt Hummel was her closest friend. The two shared an appreciation for fashion, music and telling it like it is. As the self-proclaimed 'divas' of the glee club, they planned to move to a big city together in the future; Kurt aspiring to be the next Alexander McQueen and Mercedes, the next Beyonce. Soon, that dream also included Rachel when the three became close junior year. But eventually, Kurt grew distant while his bond with Rachel strengthened, edging Mercedes out of the 'Hummelberryjones' trio.

Mercedes felt a pang of sadness as she remembered all their gossip and boy talk and fashion advice. She missed hitting the outlet mall with him for retail therapy and impromptu fashion shows. She missed texting him during '_So You Think You Can Dance_'. She missed their coordinated side-eyeing and mutual intolerance for bullshit. But most of all when it came down to it, she just missed_ him_. He was her best friend. The Ivory to her Ebony. He was there from the very beginning. It hurt her to think about how much they had drifted apart, but she was happy to see that like Rachel, Kurt was also well on his way to achieving his dreams. At that, she left a quick note in his inbox:

_**New York looks good on you! Miss you hun! xoxo**_

She continued scrolling and noticed that Mike had posted a video of himself and a couple of guys doing a routine to Kanye West's Mercy in a well lit dance studio. Mike looked incredible as he popped and locked and the guys he was with were beyond fine! Scrolling further, she saw that Santana had added new photos as well. Under an image of Santana standing in front of a full body mirror decked out in a red and black cheerleading uniform was a caption that read:

_**New cheer outfit! Goooo Cards! : )**_

Like Mercedes, Santana had opted to attend traditional college. They'd skyped a few times over the summer and bonded over uncertainty about their futures. They both knew what they wanted in life, but had no real idea of how to get there. Life after high school was very unsettling. Of course there was a lot of freedom but at the same time, now everything was uncertain. High school kept the girls on a steady path but college was an entirely different ball game. There were so many options, so many paths to be explored, yet both girls felt lost. Mercedes made a mental note to call Santana later. As half of the 'undisputed top bitches' of WMHS, Mercedes wasn't feeling so hot these days. She was actually starting to feel like a small fish in a big ocean and she needed a boost. She decided she'd get in touch with Quinn later as well. A chat with her girls was just what she needed.

Before signing off, Mercedes hovered over her ex-boyfriend Sam Evan's name. He'd posted a status about New York Comic Con and she smiled as she thought about how excited he was. Despite her better judgment, Mercedes found herself clicking through his profile pictures and reading all his updates. She missed her Sammy. They'd broken up over the summer, before she left for LA. Sam had been very upset about it. He wanted to stay together and try the long distance thing, but Mercedes knew a breakup was for the best.

Mercedes' eyes welled up as she got to a picture of them at the amusement park. Thinking about the tilt-a-whirl had always made her smile, but now it made her kind of sad. That summer had been perfect. After junior prom, Sam and Mercedes became very close- emotionally and physically-very quickly. They were each other's firsts. They made each other laugh. They were like two lonely fish in a vast ocean that had finally found each other. In their own ways, they were damaged- Mercedes was lonely and insecure and Sam had been cheated on and had his heart broken time and time again. They both desperately wanted to be loved, so when they finally found each other- they were inseparable.

When Sam's dad got a new job, he was forced to move out of state and spent half of his junior year in Kentucky. In a very similar fashion, Mercedes and Sam had decided on a mutual breakup at that time too. Eventually, Sam moved back to Ohio with the Hudson-Hummels but Mercedes was already dating Shane Tinsley- The Titans' Linebacker. Although it took some time, Sam and Mercedes found their way back to each other by the end of her senior year. Now, a few months later, they were back where they were a year ago.

After a few short minutes of reminiscing, Mercedes wiped her eyes. She didn't plan on leaving him a message; they'd agreed to try doing their own thing for a while. However, although she was really trying, it was difficult to just be his friend. Mercedes knew in her heart that their bond, what they had, was the real deal and she believed that one day, they would find their way back to each other.

Closing the browser before she could change her mind, Mercedes blinked back her tears and pulled the word document back up. She got back to work, determined to at least get another page done. She was going to get her paper completed without distraction. It's what her Sammy would want after all, and she wanted to make him proud.

_**Sam's POV**_

Sam put his truck in park. Tina had suggested they head to Breadstix for lunch. The Italian restaurant had always been a favorite of the glee clubbers and they'd spent countless hours there. As the pair walked through the glass doors, they were greeted by the smell of freshly baked rolls and fried tomatoes. Tina closed her eyes and inhaled. "Mmmm...that smells heavenly". Sam smiled sheepishly at her when his stomach agreed. Tina laughed as Sam rubbed the back of his neck. "It really does", he chuckled.

A young waitress with wavy red hair approached them. She smiled warmly at the two before perkily introducing herself. "Welcome to Breadstix! I'm Laura! May I help you find your seats?". "Yes please," Tina replied, nodding emphatically. "Right this way," Laura said, leading them to a secluded area near a wide window. Handing them their menus, she took their drink orders and scurried away. When she left, Sam and Tina flipped through the pages of the menu silently.

Sam was distracted. What was he thinking coming back here? Breadstix was kinda where it all began. He could still remember how radiant she looked in that sparkly purple dress. He'd seen her dressed up before for competitions but it was nothing compared to that night. Her hair was elegantly swooped to the side. Her face was all dolled up. She was practically glowing! He was unprepared for her sheer perfection. She looked _so _beautiful. Sam had sat beside her several times in glee club, and yet he'd never noticed. How could he have missed it? He smiled to himself as he recalled sitting in one of the booths beside Mercedes. Rachel and Jesse were across from them. He was _so _nervous. Every time she brushed against him, his skin grew warm. She smelt wonderful, more so than usual and her laugh was like music to his ears.

Tina cleared her throat before speaking. "Soo, what're you getting?"

Sam looked up as he was broken out of his thoughts. Tina was smiling at him. "Uhm, the fettucine I guess."

"I think I'll get the same. I usually get the eggplant salad but today is all about changes," Tina replied as she winked at him.

Sam flashed her a grin. A moment later Laura came back to their table and took their orders. Once they'd ordered the food, Tina excused herself and headed to the bathroom, leaving Sam time to think over what she'd just said. Tina was right. It was time to accept the changes that had transpired. Of course he was still down about where he stood with Mercedes but he wouldn't let how he was feeling keep him down for good. It was nice to know that he wasn't alone in this. With all of last year's seniors off at college, Sam realized he didn't really have anyone he was close to anymore. He didn't have his boys Puck and Mike anymore. He felt the absence of Finn and Kurt when he went home every night as he was still staying with Burt and Ms. Carole. Quinn, Santana and most importantly, Mercedes were also gone. With the exception of Artie, he wasn't particularly close to any of the other kids still in the club. But even Artie didn't really have time a lot of time for his friend now that he and Sugar were an item. So it was great to have this bond with Tina. He could definitely use a friend.

Tina came back after a while and Sam decided to make small talk.

"So have you spoken to Mike recently?"

"Not recently," she replied stirring the straw in her drink to dissolve the sugar at the bottom. "We talked a few times over the summer but that was pretty much it."

Sam nodded. "Do you miss him?"

"Yea," she responded with a watery smile. "Everyday."

Sam nodded again. An awkward silence had come over them. He cleared his throat a couple times before taking a sip of his water. He wasn't sure what to say next. Tina saved him the trouble by breaking the silence.

"Thank you"

"Hmmm?"

"For earlier. I-uh, I really needed a friend. Thanks for being there for me." Her eyes were glistening.

Sam reached across the table and took her hand in his. He squeezed gently and smiled warmly. "It was nothing Tina. I'd do it again. I know what you're going through"

She smiled as she squeezed back. "I guess you do."

He retrieved his hand and folded his arms on top of the table. "I wanna thank you too. For being there for me, I mean. I've had a pretty rough start of the year."

Tina nodded, understanding. "Hey, if you ever need anything. I'd be happy to help."

"Thanks."

Laura later returned to their table with their orders. The steam rising from the food made Sam's stomach sing praises of joy again. Tina giggled as Sam groaned.

They ate in a comfortable silence and chatted idly about their plans for senior year. Tina told him that she was determined to assume her position as a main member of the club and apply to NYADA next fall. Sam told her that he just really wanted to do well in school, so he could travel out to Los Angeles, maybe with some scholarships from swimming or football. Tina bit her lip before she spoke.

"That's nice."

"What?"

"That you still have plans to follow Mercedes."

Sam nodded. He wasn't sure what she was getting at.

"I mean, I definitely was pushed beyond my comfort zone this summer and I did a lot of thinking about me and my future and I realized that I couldn't just follow Mike. Not if I really wanted to find myself and who I am without him. Are you sure you're doing this for you?"

Sam nodded. "I am. I know who I am without Mercedes and I know who I am with her and I'm better with her. She makes me feel incredible. She was the first girl to love me for who I was and not for how I looked or what I could give her. She loved me when I had nothing. I still love her. I'm still _in_ love with her. Tina, I just know she's the one and I don't know when but I know that I will be with her again, if she'll have me."

Tina nodded as she wiped the tears that had built up in her eyes. "I really admire that. She's really lucky to have someone like you."

"I'm really lucky to have her. Well have had her."

"You'll have her again. I'm sure of it."

"I just don't when she'll forgive me"

Tina frowned slightly and looked into his sage green eyes. "Sam. I know Mercedes. We're not as close as we used to be but she was never one to change up on you. She has a big heart. No matter what she's feeling right now, she'll come around. Just give it some time." She squeezed his hand.

Sam was uncertain but he smiled. "Thanks Tina. I really hope you're right."

After they finished up their meal, Sam and Tina spent the rest of the afternoon driving around Lima. They stopped at the local outlet mall and played arcade games until it was time to head home. Together they laughed and chatted easily, forgetting their shared pain just for the afternoon.

_**Mercedes' POV**_

After putting a few more hours into her paper, Mercedes decided to take a break. She'd been holed up in her room for much of the day. When she checked the time, she realized that it was just after 7. When her stomach growled at her, she figured it was time to grab dinner, so she grabbed her keys and purse and headed out.

She returned to her room a half hour later with her dinner. She'd gotten take out, the special was chicken parmesan. She turned on the TV and got comfortable in bed before she began eating. After taking two bites, her phone began buzzing. Mercedes frowned at the unfamiliar number. She'd never seen this area code before. She ignored it and got back to her reading.

_Bzzzzzz!_

Looking at the phone, she saw the same number. Hesitantly, she finally clicked the call button and brought the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

A raspy alto voice responded. "How's LA LA land treating my favorite diva?"

Mercedes' mouth dropped open into a big smile. "'TANA!"

"The one and only. Hey girl!"

"Oh my gosh girl, I was _just_ thinking about calling you!"

"Pshh, please stop lying..."

Mercedes' brows furrowed. "Uh, 'cuse me?"

"Girl, I have not heard hide nor tail of you since the summer! And unless you lost my number, my call history and message inbox has been completely devoid of Diva Jones."

Mercedes rolled her eyes. "First of all I was really was. Second of all, rude. And third of all, I don't have this number. That's why I didn't answer at first."

"Sure hun," Santana giggled. "We'll go with that for now."

Mercedes shook her head. "You are something else. _Anyways_, I really was going to call you. I saw your new threads girl, you look flawless!"

Santana chuckled. "Awww thanks mami! But did you expect anything less?"

"San, you're too much!"

"I know, but you love it!" Santana giggled.

"I do." Mercedes smiled. "But seriously, how's school? Tell me everything!"

"School's good. I'm on the cheer squad as you know. Not captain yet but gimme time."

"Of course." Santana had always been a very talented cheerleader. She was bound to be named captain in no time.

"I like most of my classes, not sure what I'm gonna major in or anything yet but I've been taking some law classes and I like 'em"

"That's cool. You join any clubs other than the Cardinals?"

"Nah not yet, but some chicks did approach me the other day about joining their sorority. It'd be cool to be a part of something else but I don't know. I don't really like paddles unless I'm doing the spanking... haha wanky."

"TMI 'Tana, TMI." Mercedes groaned loudly. But she was happy that Santana hadn't changed at all.

"I feel like they just want me to be their token minority and Aunty Tana is not down with that. Plus I really don't need people telling me what to do. I may be a freshman but I'm still the HBIC!"

"I hear you girl. I'm staying away from those sorority girls myself. They are trouble with a capital T. I think my roommate is thinking about pledging though."

"Hmmm.. I can see it. Hanna would fit right in"

"Don't I know it? I'm just really not looking forward to the late night hazing. I have way too much to do this semester and I really don't have time for that nonsense!"

Santana hummed in agreement. "Amen. College is serious. McKinley had its cons but, I miss it sometimes. High school was so much easier!"

"Mhmmm.. So how's Britt?"

"She's good. We skype every now and then and I drive back home on the weekends to be with her. This long distance thing is no joke either."

"Once again, don't I know it?"

Santana chuckled. "How's Trouty? How are you two making out?"

"He's good...and we're making out just fine," Mercedes lied. Her heart clenched in her chest.

"I don't know how you do it 'Cedes," Santana continued. "I'm just a two hour drive away from Britt and I still feel like we're too far away. Isn't it hard being all the way over there?"

"Yea, it is..." Mercedes tried to play it off but got lost in her thoughts. She hadn't told Santana about their breakup. She didn't know why she was lying to her friend but she couldn't bring herself to hash up the old news. The wounds were still fresh.

"Earth to Mercedes"

"Huh?"

"I was saying, Britt told me auditions went well today. Lots of kids tried out. But only one person made it. Some new girl named Marley. Isn't that crazy?

"Hmmm, uh yea.." Mercedes couldn't focus. New Directions made her think about Sam and auditions made her think of the auditorium and her name in lights and the kiss they shared. _Crap, get yourself together girl!_

"Mr. Schue can pick and choose now. Remember when no one wanted to join ND. I mean NO ONE. Times sure have changed," Santana laughed.

Silence.

"Mercedes?"

Nothing.

"Mercedes?!"

"Hmm...?"

"Girl, you are completely spacing on me.

"Sorry."

Santana was growing concerned. It was not like her friend to act like this. Something was definitely wrong.

"What's up?"

"What do you mean?," Mercedes feigned ignorance.

"What's on your mind? Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong," Mercedes lied again. But her voice betrayed her.

"Seriously, after all we've been through you don't think I can detect bullshit when I hear it? Mercedes, tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing," she sniffed.

"Liar. Come on spill, you can talk to Aunty 'Tana"

Mercedes rolled her eyes, but she knew the jig was up. She took a deep breath before she spoke. "Sam and I broke up."

"Whaaaat?"

"Yea..."

"When? Why? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't know. I really wasn't trying to think about it, let alone talk about it"

Santana frowned. "But you'd rather lie about it? I tell you everything about me and Britt and you think I don't want to hear about you and Trouty?"

"I know, I know but it's just I don't like-

"You don't like burdening people with your problems," Santana finished. "Mercedes, we've been through this before. You're my girl therefore your problems _are_ my problems. Now do you need me to bust his lip open?"

Mercedes chuckled lightly. "No, _I_ broke up with him"

"Oh. Well, why? What'd he do?"

"Nothing."

"Really Mercedes?"

"Really."

"Girl, you are going to have to give me more than that."

"I know. I'm sorry. I guess I just didn't think the whole long distance thing was going to work out. I mean we tried it when he had to move back to Kentucky and that didn't work, so how in the hell would it work with me across the country? It was the right thing to do."

Santana considered that. After a moment she spoke. "And how did Sam feel about that?"

"He was angry. He didn't want to break up or take a break. He thought we could make it work. But I just, I didn't agree and we had a fight. I'm pretty sure he's still mad at me. He saw me off to the airport but we haven't really spoke since."

Santana paused again before replying. She knew Sam. She _dated_ Sam. The boy was persistent, stubborn even, but he loved deeply and he was not one to hold onto anger for long. She knew how he felt about Mercedes. There was no way in hell he was still mad at her. Hurt maybe, but definitely not angry.

"I don't think that boy is mad at you. Sure he may have a bruised ego 'cause losing you has gotta hurt, but angry? No way."

"I don't know Santana..."

"But_ I_ do. Look, you're too close to the situation to see it for what it is and I'm telling you, even if he was mad then, he's not anymore."

"If you say so," Mercedes was unconvinced.

"I do." Santana affirmed. "And if he is, you just say the word and I'll drive on over and smack some sense into him."

Mercedes smiled. "I don't think that'll be necessary 'Tana"

"You sure? I've been meaning to do it for a while now."

"Yes. I'm sure," she shook her head.

"Okay."

"Thanks, though."

"No problem babes. I always have you."

"I know," Mercedes replied.

Mercedes and Santana chatted for about an hour longer. Santana's phone kept dropping calls and they laughed about it a couple times. They talked about the boys on their school football teams that kept hitting on them.

Mercedes could practically see the smirk on her best friend's face.

"Girl, the thirst was REAL!"

Mercedes snickered. "You're a mess!"

They got all caught up and Mercedes realized just how much she'd missed her friend. It was about 12:47am the third time Santana called.

"I'm really sorry about this. I literally JUST bought this phone. Note to self, never trust on campus salesmen."

Mercedes laughed.

"I'm sorry but, the next time this phone cuts off, I think I'll call it a night. This is really getting on my last nerve."

"Mine too," Mercedes agreed.

After about 20 minutes, the call dropped once more. Mercedes shook her head and put her phone down. She decided to get ready for bed. She grabbed her towel and toiletries before heading to the communal showers. When she came back, her phone buzzed again. Mercedes answered with a chuckle.

"Girl, I think you need a new phone pronto!"

"Mercedes?"

The voice on the other line was uncertain.

Mercedes' smile faded. Her heart rate quickened and her hands suddenly became clammy. The soft Southern drawl coming through the phone clearly wasn't Santana. It was Sam.


	2. Conversations

**A/N: Wow! Thank you so much for all of your kind reviews! I am really happy that people are enjoying the story. ****I've been really frustrated with this season and its complete disrespect for Samcedes. It's unacceptable. Let me know what you think of this chapter. Reviews are love! Happy Reading! :)**

* * *

_*** Flashback**_

_"Mercedes, I…I'm not losing you again." Sam grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to him. "I know what it feels like to be without you and I don't want that. Please don't do this."_

_"Sam...you know I don't want to leave you, but right now I think this is what's best."_

_"What's best? Us being apart is what's __**best**__?" Sam knew he was pushing it, but he couldn't think straight. He was losing her and he couldn't take it._

_"Sam, please."_

_"No Mercedes! You can't just decide what's best for the both of us. This is a relationship. We come to those decisions together and I don't want to take a break. I don't want to break up. I-I don't want to lose you."_

_"And you won't", She cupped his face in her palms. Sam flinched away from her and she lowered her hands. There were tears in her eyes. "Sam…"_

_He glanced at her and felt his heart clench. He was so mad at her, no, mad at himself but he hated to see her upset. He knew this day would come but he didn't anticipate it happening so soon. He thought they had more time. He thought they could maybe try having a long distance relationship. He knew it would be hard but he was willing to do whatever it took when it came to her. But Mercedes didn't think they could make it and it hurt him. Part of him knew he was being naïve but he couldn't quit. Of course she wouldn't want to deal with the long distance thing. They'd tried it before, but it didn't work. He supported her dreams, yes, but he didn't want to see her go. He'd just won her back. He knew he was being selfish but he was in a catch 22._

_"Sam...," she repeated as she slowly and cautiously placed her hands around him. This time he let her. His hands hung limply to his sides. He was so afraid to touch her. But then he felt her squeeze him tightly. Fiercely. Like she never wanted to let him go either. He moved his hands up to her waist and brought her closer to him. "Mercedes, I'm going to miss you so much." His voice cracked on the last word. She released him and looked back up at him. Tears were brimming in his eyes._

_"I'll miss you more Sammy…," she said before snuggling into him once more. They stayed like that for a moment. Holding onto each other as tightly as they could because they could feel each other slipping away. When would they have each other like this again? How long would they have to wait? Sam had made plans to join her in LA next year but so much could happen in a year. What if he didn't get into any of those schools? His grades weren't the best, he knew this. What if her career took off and she was touring all over the world. Or worse, what if she found someone else? All the worse case scenarios filled Sam's mind. He felt so lost. He was desperate. _

_"Mercedes..."_

_"Hmmm?"_

_"I-I don't want you to go."_

_He felt her body stiffen in his arms. She released him and looked up at him. Her eyebrows were furrowed. "What?"_

_He repeated himself more firmly. "I don't want you to go"_

_Mercedes let out an exasperated sigh and turned around. "Well, it's a little bit too late for that Sam. My flight is booked, my bags are packed and that school and the label are expecting me there in two days."_

_Sam was running out of options, so he resorted to the only solution he could think of at the moment. "So take me with you! I can get a job and you wouldn't have to live on campus." He moved closer to her and took her hand. "We could get an apartment." He smiled as he kissed the inside of her palm. "Just the two of us. It'll be nice"_

_Mercedes pulled her hand out of his grasp. She knew he was getting desperate. Sam knew this was coming, this she was sure of. But she wasn't sure why he was suddenly acting this way. _

_"Sam…," she began cautiously. "No. I can't let you do that. You are not dropping everything and coming after me. You have to stay here and finish school," she finished firmly._

_Sam's smile slowly faded as she spoke. He bit his lip as he listened to her words. He knew they were from a place of caring. He knew they were realistic. He knew it was only going to be temporary but still, he lost it._

_"NO! MERCEDES! I AM COMING WITH YOU. I DON'T WANT TO MISS YOU. I DON'T WANT TO BE WITHOUT YOU! WHY ARE YOU WALKING AWAY FROM US?," Sam roared. His face was red and his heart pounded wildly within him. He knew he was losing control, but he couldn't pull back._

_Mercedes' eyes were wide and a flash of fear passed through them. She had never seen Sam like this. He was always calm and collected. She was the fiery one and he was the one that helped her keep her cool. She was still struggling to understand why he was behaving this way and she was beginning to lose her patience._

_"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE TALKING TO?," She spat out at him. Her voice was straining. "THIS IS HARD FOR ME TOO! YOU THINK I WANT TO LEAVE YOU?"_

_"WELL THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE," Sam yelled back, his eyes filling with tears._

_"I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU'RE ACTING LIKE THIS! WHAT DID YOU EXPECT WOULD HAPPEN ONCE I SAID YES TO THE SCHOOL AND THE LABEL? ME LEAVING WAS ALWAYS PART OF THE PLAN!"_

_Sam silently walked over to the stairway and sat down. He knew every word she spoke was the truth and it killed him. He was shaking. She was really going to leave him. The tears in his eyes finally spilled over. There was nothing he could do anymore. In two days, she'd be gone. He hid his face with his hands. He felt absolutely ridiculous._

_Mercedes stood in place as the adrenaline rushed through her body. She hated fighting with her boyfriend. Her eyes burned with tears that she didn't even realize were there. Mercedes took in the image of him hunched over on the stairs and she felt her heart slowly break into pieces. As she watched his body heave in and out, the anger that burned within her slowly began to dissipate. _

_Sam heard feet softly pad over to him and felt Mercedes' gentle hand land on his shoulder. _

_"Sam," she began softly. He didn't respond. There was a ball the size of a fist in his throat. He was finding it difficult to breathe. _

_"Sam. Look at me. __**Please**__." Her voice broke on the last word. She was crying. His heart clenched again. He didn't want to hurt her. In fact that's the last thing he'd wanna do. The last thing he said he'd ever do. He turned to look up at her._

_Her cheeks were stained with tears and her eyes were quickly turning puffy. She reached out to him and held his face in her hands as she searched his eyes. "We'll be okay. Okay? This is only temporary."_

_He bit his lip and nodded. But he didn't believe her. In an act of desperation, he leaned over and brought his lips to hers. He savored the touch. It was so delicate. So familiar. So natural. But it felt so final. Mercedes closed her eyes and leaned into the kiss, fingering the hair at the nape of his neck. He was going to miss this. Miss being right here, alone with her. _

_Sam released her and stared into her big brown, doe eyes. They were shining. She smiled weakly at him. He took a deep breath and decided to try one more time. Maybe there was a chance he could still change her mind. "Mercedes. Please. We don't have to do this. We can make it work."_

_Just as quickly as the smile appeared, it disappeared and her expression hardened. "Sam, we can't-"_

_He stood up before she could finish. He felt like she'd punched him in his heart. Hard. He was finding it incredibly difficult to breathe again. He started moving toward the front door. He needed to get out._

_Mercedes called after him. "Sam, please don't leave..." _

_It killed him to hear the pain in her voice, but he feared if he stayed any longer, he'd push too far and ruin their relationship forever. He walked out the door and he didn't stop when she continued to call desperately after him. Not even when he heard her sobbing..._

_In a short moment, Sam was gone and Mercedes was all alone. Heartbroken, she ran up to her room, flung herself onto her bed and wept._

* * *

***Present day**

_**Mercedes' POV**_

"Sam?"

"Hey"

"Hey," she choked out. Tears began to fill her eyes as all the painful memories she'd tried to block out came flooding back.

"H-how are you?"

"Good."

"Good. How's Cali?"

"It's nice. I like it"

"Good, I'm glad. I hear the beaches are awesome, great for surfing."

"Mhmm..." She didn't really get where he was going with this conversation.

"And in the summer you really need to go to San Diego and check out Comic Con. It's way better than the one over here. Like _way_ better! Also there's this great concert I heard about named Coache-"

"Sam," Mercedes cut him off. He was rambling. He only rambled when he was nervous. "Why are you calling me?"

There was a beat of silence before he replied. "Because I, I miss you"

The tears Mercedes was holding back finally spilled down her cheeks. She moved the phone away from her face to wipe them away.

"Mercedes? You still there?"

"Yea..." she whispered softly. She didn't want him to hear her reaction to his confession.

"Good." She heard him clear his throat. "I know it's late and I'm sorry. I don't even know what your schedule is, if you have class in the morning or work at the studio-

"Sam?"

"Hmmm?"

"You're rambling," she smiled.

"Right. Sorry," he chuckled nervously. "I'm calling to apologize. I had no right to yell at you nor run out on you. I'm really sorry for the way I acted"

"Sam you don-"

"No, I _do_. It was childish and you didn't deserve that. I'm sorry for lashing out."

"I forgive you," Mercedes whispered softly before he finished.

"Huh? What was that?"

"I said I forgive you," Mercedes repeated.

"Really?"

"Yes...and I'm sorry too."

"For what?"

"For deciding to break up with you before we had the chance to talk about it. It wasn't right and it wasn't fair to you."

"You really didn't have to apologize for that. It was my fault..."

"It was both our faults."

Sam considered this before responding, "I guess it kinda was, wasn't it?"

"Yea..."

"So you're not mad at me?"

"No"

"Really?"

"Yea, I understand why you were upset. If the situation was flipped, Lord knows how I would've reacted."

"Yea, you probably woulda thrown an epic diva fit"

"Hey!"

"What? It's true!" She heard him chuckle on the other side.

"Yea you're right. The classiest of diva fits no doubt."

"Naturally," Sam mused.

She giggled at that. She felt all the pent up nerves she'd been harboring at the beginning of the conversation float away. She marveled at how easy it was to slip back into a comfortable conversation with Sam, the love of her life and most importantly, her best friend.

"Hey Sam?"

"Yea?"

"I missed you too."

A comfortable silence took over the conversation. She could practically see his smile on the other side.

"So how's school? Santana called me today, told me auditions went well."

"Oh yea. I heard a lot of people showed up."

"You _heard_?"

"Yea, me and Tina kinda cut class earlier."

"Oh," Mercedes replied. "What'd you guys do?"

Mercedes smiled as she listened to Sam recount his day with Tina. She was happy he was finding people to connect with. She was worried about him. She'd told Artie to keep an eye out for him but because of the thing he had going with Sugar, she wasn't sure he'd have the time. Sugar was her baby girl and all, but she knew the girl could be a handful! She was bound to be keeping Artie busy. She was surprised when she heard about Tina. She hadn't even considered that her old friend would be a good one to watch out for Sam. The two had been the best of friends during Mercedes' sophomore and junior years but during her senior year, they'd drifted apart. The more she thought about it the better she felt about Sam's well being. He'd be in capable hands.

The pair quickly got caught up on each other's lives. She was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to slip back into a comfortable chat with Sam. He really was her very best friend. They talked about the trip he had planned for Comic Con in New York. He was going with Artie. Sam said he was going as Wolverine and Artie would go as Professor X. She smiled when he told her she would've been a killer Storm and blushed when he confessed that he would have enjoyed seeing what her curves looked like in the suit. She bit her lip because she was still trying to be cautious about the nature of their relationship. They were no longer together and as enjoyable as these remarks were, she was wary of entering that murky territory of 'friends with benefits'. She decided to cut the flirting right at the root.

"Sam?"

"Yes?"

"What are we doing?"

"I thought we were catching up."

Mercedes' brows furrowed. Was he intentionally playing dumb? "You know what I mean..."

There was a brief pause before he responded. "Right, I'm sorry. I'm-"

"Flirting. Yes, you're flirting with me"

"And flirting is-"

"Off limits," they both said in unison.

Mercedes awkwardly chuckled as Sam sighed deeply. Gone was the comfortable feeling that had previously taken place. An awkward, unfamiliar silence overtook the phone call. Mercedes decided to break it.

"Sam?"

"Mhmmm?"

"I'm not sure this is such a good idea...Whatever happened to giving each other space?"

There was a brief pause before he responded.

"I know, I know. I told myself I wouldn't call. But I really couldn't help it. I needed to hear your voice. This is- it's just really hard for me. And I, I _really_ do miss you Mercedes."

She felt her eyes well up once more and a huge lump formed in her throat.

"Mercedes?"

She used her other hand to cover her face as the tears spilled over. She hated this so much. Being apart from him. But still, she knew it was for the best.

"Mercedes, are you still there?" His voice was growing concerned.

"Yes," she whispered. And then against her better judgment she said, "I really miss you too, Sammy."

She'd used his pet name. She could practically feel him beaming through the phone.

Then he took the conversation in a different direction.

"So how's Puck?"

Mercedes snorted as she told him all about Noah's weekly shenanigans. She didn't see him often but every time she did, he was with a new girl, who looked to be at least 10 years their senior. The boy hadn't changed a bit and was making the most of his pool cleaning business. Sam laughed when she told him about the time Puck invited her over to "his new loft" only to have the pair firmly kicked out by the rightful owners of the home. Classic Puckasaurus. Mercedes shook her head as she recalled the event. They talked into the wee hours of the morning until Mercedes took a look at her clock. It was now 3:17am. Her eyes bugged out of her head when she realized she needed to get up in less than four hours.

"Sam, I'm really sorry but I have to go!"

He responded with a simple 'okay'. Hearing the disappointment in his voice, she promised to call him back. "We'll talk soon okay?"

Sam's response was a lot more enthusiastic at that.

"Goodnight Mercedes"

"Goodnight Sam"

"Sweet dreams"

"You too"

"Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite"

"Sam...," she warned.

"Too much?" He laughed into the phone.

"Yes," she confirmed. "Goodnight, crazy. You have to be up earlier than I do!"

Sam groaned. "Don't remind me. Maybe I'll just cut tomorrow morning..."

"Sam, no! I'm not gonna feed your senioritis. Get off the phone!"

"You first," he whined.

Mercedes groaned. She shoulda known he'd play games. "Go to bed Sam!"

He chuckled. "Okay, okay. But only because you have class in the morning."

She shook her head and smiled. "Goodnight, Sam"

"Goodnight, Mercedes. I lo-"

She clicked the 'end' button before he could say anything else. When they were dating, it was routine for them to end their conversation in 'I love you's' but she didn't think it would be appropriate. She rested her phone onto the nightstand and clicked off the light, curling into bed. In just a few minutes, she was out like a light. She didn't even hear her roommate return to the room a few minutes later. That night, she slept better than she had in weeks.

* * *

_**Sam's POV**_

Sam was in the basement of the Hudson-Hummel home tidying up his room. It was Britney week and he was holding practice at the house. He was expecting Tina and Joe at 3:00pm. Ms. Carole was upstairs preparing refreshments and Burt was at the tire shop. As he was making the bed, he heard the doorbell ring.

"Sam!" yelled Ms. Hudson-Hummel, "Tina's here!"

Sam looked at the clock in the left corner of the room. It was only a little after 12:00pm. She was early. He quickly finished up removing the clutter around the room and haphazardly tossed the ball of clothing on the floor into the closet and shut the door. He tossed the old sheets into the laundry hamper before rushing upstairs. Sam found Tina in the kitchen with Ms. Carole. She was helping her set out some snacks and finish preparing lunch. Tina smiled widely when she saw him. "Hey Sam!"

"Hey," Sam replied. "You're early."

"I know. My family's going out for an early dinner tonight. I figured if we practiced earlier, we'd be done at an earlier time. I'm so sorry I didn't call ahead!"

Sam nodded. "It's totally cool. I'll just have to let Joe know"

Tina smiled and turned back to the food on the table.

"Do you need any help with that?," Sam asked the women.

Tina and Ms. Carole both replied with a horrified 'No!'. They looked at each other and laughed. He raised his hands defensively and smiled his famous lopsided smile. He wasn't very good at cooking anyway.

He put his hands in his jeans pockets and shuffled his feet awkwardly as he watched the women prepare the meal. Ms. Carole put the casserole into the oven as Tina prepared the tossed salad. Feeling more or less useless, he decided to head back to the basement to set up the practice area. He told Tina to come downstairs when she was ready.

When he reached downstairs, Sam texted Joe and told him that they would be practicing earlier. Joe replied and said he would be there in about an hour. Sam removed a few more items that were cluttering the room before he went over to the computer to look up the chords to Britney Spears' '3'. He quickly wrote them down along with the lyrics onto a scrap piece of paper and grabbed his acoustic guitar. He sat on his bed and began strumming a few chords.

He'd gotten through to the second chorus when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

Tina took a look around when she stepped into the room. "Wow! This place has changed alot since the last time I was here."

The all white carpeting and furniture accents that she remembered from Kurt's basement were still there, but the walls were now completely covered in movie posters and cut out pictures from magazines and newspaper comics. Tina stared in awe at the large color posters. There was one of Spiderman, another of the Fantastic Four and one with the Avengers. She reached out and touched the poster closest to her. It was one of the X-Men. She smiled.

"I've always liked Marvel better than DC. X-men is the best!"

Sam grinned. "Wolverine's my favorite."

"I've always liked Rogue."

"Rogue is awesome!"

Tina beamed at him.

"I didn't know you liked comic books," Sam began.

"You don't know a lot about me," Tina replied, winking at him.

Sam laughed. "I guess not."

"Artie and I used to geek out about X-men _all_ the time. He had all the movies so we'd have a marathon whenever I went over to his place," Tina mused.

"That's really cool. Believe it or not Mercedes was a big Marvel fan too. It's one of the only comics she'd have a serious conversation with me about," Sam chuckled at the memory.

"I know. Storm was always her favorite. Artie, Mercedes, Kurt and I did X-men group costumes freshman year. I was Rogue, Artie was Gambit, Kurt was Cyclops and Mercedes went as Storm. We looked pretty legit too!," Tina bragged.

"I don't doubt that for a second," Sam replied. "I'm just upset I wasn't there to be a part of it. I would've made a killer Wolverine."

"I'm sure you would've," Tina laughed.

Once the laughter died down, Tina finally took notice of the guitar in his hands. She glanced at the time and noticed that it was after 1:00pm.

"We should probably get started on the song..."

"Yea, I guess we should."

Tina dug into her backpack and fished out the sheet music to Britney Spears' '3'. She'd made three copies that morning. She handed one to Sam, who simply gestured to his scrap of paper.

"I've got the chords and lyrics right here"

Tina put the extra copies back into her bag. She grabbed the music stand in the corner of the room and made her way over to Sam. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she placed the sheet music on the stand and positioned it in front of them.

"So, '3' huh?" Sam begun.

"Mhmmm...it's actually one of my favorites. Besides the classics of cours-Hey! What's that for?"

Sam had made a face. "Britney's weak. Her vocals are _terrible_. She can't sing"

Tina shoved him playfully. "You take that back! Britney is EPIC. She's an icon, Sam!"

"Sure Tina"

Tina smacked him on the arm and he pretended to tend to his 'wound'.

"She's totally a triple threat. She can sing and act _and_ the girl can dance. She's a legend!"

"Oh-kay...whatever you say. I'm still not a fan of her voice."

"Fine! _Maybe_ her voice isn't amazing, but she did dominate 90s pop radio"

"Fine, I'll give her that. But that electro-pop thing? So not my thing. I've always preferred Christina Aguilera. Now Christina could _sang_"

"That's true but, there's a reason it's Britney week and not Christina's. X-tina who?," Tina quipped and gave Sam a curt look.

Sam laughed at that one. He couldn't argue there.

"Besides, I was thinking we could strip the song down and do an acoustic cover," Tina continued. "The sound might just surprise you."

Sam shrugged. "Let's see, shall we?"

He turned his attention to his scrap of paper and began strumming the opening chords of the song. Tina opened her mouth and began to sing.

_"One, two, three,_  
_Not only you and me,_  
_Got one eighty degrees,_  
_and I'm caught in between..."_

Sam glanced over at Tina discreetly as she continued with the song. The few times she'd sung solos in glee club, her voice always surprised him. His ears perked up with familiarity as she sang through the chorus. Her voice was absolutely beautiful.

_"Babe, pick a night,_  
_To come out and play,_  
_If it's alright,_  
_What do you say?"_

He marveled at her warm tone and smiled while he strummed. She was right. The stripped down version of the song was _very_ pleasing to his ears.

She was singing the last part of the verse when Sam stopped strumming. She stopped singing abruptly and looked over at him, confused.

"You were right. You sound _incredible_ Tina."

Tina blushed deeply. "Thanks, Sam. I've been uh, I've been practicing a lot lately. Working on my range and my runs." She fidgeted with her hair.

"_Oh_, I can tell," Sam nodded approvingly.

She playfully shoved him. She was grinning widely.

"Hey! I'm serious! If Mr. Schue is wise, he'll give you a performance solo. We could really use your voice at sectionals!"

Tina blushed deeper. "Thanks Sam, that means a lot."

"Don't mention it," he smiled.

Tina cleared her throat and stammered out, "I-uh, I think we should give the pre-chorus to Joe and you could, you could probably take the bridge."

"Cool. I can do that," he smiled at her. How could he have not recognized how incredibly talented she was before?

"Can we start from the second verse?," Tina asked.

"Of course"

Sam began to strum the chords as Tina's voice rang out:

_Three is a charm,_  
_Two is not the same,_  
_I don't see the harm,_  
_So are you game?_

_Let's make a team,_  
_Make em' say my name,_  
_Lovin' the extreme,_  
_Now are you game?_

He really admired her voice. It was so soulful and steady. She had excellent pitch and her runs were on point. He didn't understand why Mr. Schue never took more advantage of it. Maybe she didn't possess a powerhouse voice like Mercedes or Rachel nor the sultry tones of Santana, but the girl was super talented. His ears were very happy.

When they got around to the repeat of the chorus, Sam began to sing with her. She looked over at him and smiled as their voices moved together in perfect harmony. Sam opened his mouth to sing the bridge.

"_What we do is innocent,_  
_Just for fun, nothing meant..."_

and Tina continued:

_"If you don't like the company,_  
_Let's just do it you and me..."_

_"You and me," _Sam chimed in.

Tina tapped her thigh in rhythm and looked at him as they began to harmonize once more. They swayed to the music and turned their heads towards each other as they sang the numbers.

_"Or three..."_

_"Or four..."_

They fought their giggles and belted out 'on the floor'. Their voices echoed each other and bounced off the walls of the room. Tina closed her eyes and outstretched her arm Mariah style as she sang the final 'floor'- her highest note.

Sam played the familiar riff of the chorus as they dived back into an impressive harmony.

_"One, two, three,_  
_Not only you and me,_  
_Got one eighty degrees,_  
_And I'm caught in between,_

_Counting one, two, three,_  
_Peter, Paul, and Mary,_  
_Gettin' down with three p,_  
_Everybody loves countin'"_

Tina finished the song with beautiful melisma and vibrato. She sustained the final note with a stunning vocal run. Sam strummed the final chord before he began a slow clap. Tina blushed.

"Absolutely. Incredible."

Tina laughed. "Thanks Sam"

"Seriously, Schue would be crazy to not give you a solo at sectionals. _Crazy!"_

Tina beamed. "That's actually kinda the plan. I'm really hoping this year will be my turn"

Sam hopped off of the bed to put his guitar back on its stand. With his back turned to her, he replied "And it will be. I won't let you hide that precious voice any longer!" He laughed. By himself.

When he turned around, he noticed that there were tears in Tina's eyes.

His smile completely faded. "Hey, don't do that. What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"

Tina shook her head and wiped her eyes. "No, you didn't"

Sam moved to sit down beside her. "Then why are you crying?" His voice was full of concern.

"It's silly"

"I doubt that...what's wrong?"

"It's just that I always imagined Mike being here and saying that to me. He told me last year after Rachel choked on her audition that last year was all about the seniors and that this would be my year. And now that it's finally my turn, we're over. I just, still can't believe we're done."

Sam felt his heart tighten. He didn't want to see her cry.

"Hey...come here". He reached out and pulled her into his arms. "It'll be okay. You'll be okay Tina."

She sniffled into his shoulder as her body shook. As he rubbed her back, he felt his eyes begin to moisten. "It'll still be your year without him. I promise. You'll be okay." She nodded into his shoulder before she pulled away.

Tina wiped her eyes and began to compose herself. She laughed uncomfortably. "I'm sorry I keep sobbing on your shoulders. I promised myself I wouldn't do this again."

Sam's brows furrowed. "Tina, it's okay. I'm here for you if you need me. We're in this together, remember?"

She smiled faintly as she dried her eyes. "Yea...okay".

She sniffed. Sam grabbed a piece of tissue from the kleenex box on his nightstand. He held it out to her. "Blow"

She shook her head and Sam held the tissue closer to her and repeated himself. "Tina, blow"

She reached for the tissue and let out a dainty snivel. Sam gave her a disapproving look. "Seriously? Who are you trying to impress with that? I said blow! I swear it'll make you feel better!"

"OKAY! Geez..." Tina brought the kleenex to her nose once more. This time she blew more forcefully into the tissue.

Sam nodded approvingly and patted her back. "Atta girl"

Tina shot him the meanest of side eyes and Sam doubled over and laughed. He was laughing so hard that Tina started to laugh in spite of herself. They laughed until their sides ached and Tina felt her eyes grow wet again, from laughing too hard. She felt extremely grateful to have a friend like Sam by her side. When she finally composed herself, Sam spoke.

"So I took your advice"

"My advice?" Tina was confused.

"Yea, I finally called Mercedes"

Tina's eyes popped and her mouth dropped open. "YOU DID?!" She smacked him on the arm.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

"I don't kn- OW!," Sam massaged the area where she'd assaulted him. He pouted at her. "Quit hitting me!"

Tina rolled her eyes but chose to ignore him. "Soooo? Tell me what happened!"

Sam's eyes sparkled as he broke into a wide smile. "You were right! She wasn't mad!" Sam flinched away before she could hit him again. He stuck his tongue out at her.

She shook her head. "I TOLD YOU!"

"Yea, you did," Sam agreed.

"So what else happened?"

"We got caught up on everything. She's super busy with school and the label but she's working hard and trying to keep a balance. She said she missed me..."

Tina's face broke out into a huge smile. "Oh Sam! I'm so happy for you!"

He smiled back at her just as widely. Just thinking about the conversation made him giddy with excitement. "We've talked pretty much every night this week. I'm happier than I've been in weeks. I'm sleeping better. I'm eating better. And I even managed to start watching Avatar again."

Tina beamed up at him. "That's great Sam"

He smiled kindly back at her. "Of course I couldn't do it without you." He nudged her with his elbow.

She shrugged him off and smiled. "Please, all you needed was a push."

Sam nodded. His smile began to fade when he fully took in her expression. Her lips were smiling but her eyes weren't. He was so caught up in his own excitement that he completely looked beyond her feelings.

"Are you thinking about Mike?"

Tina nodded slowly.

"Maybe you should call him too?"

Tina shook her head. "I don't think I'm ready to talk to him yet"

Sam nodded in understanding. He took her hand in his and waited until she turned to face him. "I'll be right here when you are." He smiled down at her.

Tina returned his smile and mouthed "Thanks"

"Anytime," he responded and put his arm around her shoulders. Tina rested her head on his shoulder and exhaled deeply. A few minutes later they heard the doorbell ring. Sam glanced at the clock. It was now 2:00pm. Ms. Carole yelled back down the stairs. "SAM! JOE'S HERE!"

"COMING!" Sam responded as the pair began heading up the stairs.

* * *

**Love it? Hate it? Review!**


	3. Put In Work

**A/N: **Hey guys! Once again, thank you for reading/reviewing/following/favouriting! You guys are lovely! Just wanted to address a couple concerns… Samtina romance is not my intention with this story! Sam and Mercedes cannot just stay friends no matter what they tell themselves. As far as this story is concerned, Samcedes is ENDGAME! :) So don't worry! I Do NOT own GLEE but some of the brief dialogue between Blaine and Sam is from Glee's episode 'Makeover' and belongs to GleeonFox! Happy Reading!

* * *

_**Mercedes' POV**_

"A, 5…6…A, 5…6…7…8!"

Mercedes swung her hips to the left then strutted forward four steps before executing a quick pirouette to complete the combination. She was in the Pulse dance studio working on a dance routine for an upcoming local concert. She would be singing back up with three other girls, all of whom had been dancing basically from birth. Mercedes had some moves, but lacked the precision and technique that the other girls had built up over the years. Unfortunately, this fact became apparent every time she came to dance practice. However, whatever Mercedes lacked in technique, she made up for with enthusiasm and worked that dance floor like her life depended on it. Despite her lack of experience, Mercedes was determined to give this opportunity all she had and she'd be damned if anybody said she wasn't the hardest working one in the studio!

But Mercedes had to admit to herself that she was rusty. Once Nationals was over, she'd seen no reason to over exert herself on the dance floor. In fact, she'd spent much of the summer focusing on her voice, her primary reason for being out here in Los Angeles in the first place. Singing had always been her main priority, but when she finally got to California, she learned quickly that that was not all that would be required of her.

Her first week had been brutal. Her precision was off and she struggled to match the other girls step for step. She also grew tired quickly and often. At many rehearsals, she found that her stamina simply wasn't there and it was very difficult at times for her to keep up. Although she'd improved a lot over the past couple weeks, she still struggled every now and then and her dance instructor definitely took notice.

"MERCEDES! It's turn, left, down, kick! _NOT_ turn, left, up, kick! We've been through this already!" Jacki Song, the instructor yelled exasperated.

"Sorry," Mercedes muttered meekly. "I'll get it"

Jacki just looked at her and shook her head. "From the top!"

Dance practice went on for the next hour, unfortunately without much improvement. At every misstep and wrong turn, Mercedes cursed herself as she apologized sheepishly. She could see the growing frustration in the choreographer's body language. She was working so hard but her struggle continued as she was becoming less and less confident in her ability to dance. At every turn, Mercedes glanced over at the other girls who effortlessly performed each move and felt less sure of herself. She was losing her focus and when she peeked in Jacki's direction and caught her expression, she wanted to crawl under a rock and hide. Finally, she heard Jacki clapping, signaling the end of rehearsal. Mercedes glanced at the time and noticed that she was ending practice prematurely. Mercedes figured that Jacki simply couldn't watch anymore and that made her incredibly nervous.

"THAT'S A WRAP EVERYBODY! LET'S WORK ON THOSE MOVES AND MEET BACK HERE TOMORROW!"

Mercedes made a beeline for her bag. She was so embarrassed and exhausted. She fished out her water bottle and drank to her heart's desire. The drink had never tasted so good! Once her thirst was quenched, she bent to pick out her face towel. Pulling her duffle bag shut, she swung it over her shoulder and started to head to the exit. She wiped the sweat from her brow then draped the towel over her shoulder as she prepared to head out the door.

"MERCEDES!"

The girl winced and turned anxiously at her name. She made eye contact with Jacki. She did not look pleased.

"I need to talk to you," Jacki finished.

Mercedes padded over to the instructor, anxious. Jacki's arms were folded across her chest and she had a stern expression on her face. Mercedes gulped and said a silent prayer in her head for this to go well as she approached the frustrated woman.

"Mercedes, I've gotta tell you..you've been messing up the choreography more than I'd like you to."

Mercedes looked down at her feet, embarrassed. She knew this was what the conversation was going to be about. "I know. I've been working on my moves. I really have, but-"

Jacki sighed loudly and shook her head, exasperated. "Look, I know you don't have as strong a dance background as the other girls but you need to seriously step it up. The concert is in a few weeks and Angelique will not be happy to know that her back up singers don't have the choreography down pat."

Mercedes nodded and responded softly. "I know. I know, I'll get it. I promise"

Jacki observed Mercedes' features and body language. She took notice of how tense her shoulders were and how her hands fidgeted with the strap of her bag. She saw the moisture filling the young girl's eyes as they struggled to stay focused on her own and she felt compassion. Jacki respected the girl in front of her. She knew how hard she was working. She'd seen it in the way that she had improved over the past couple weeks. She'd come so far!

When the older woman took in the uncertainty in Mercedes' movement when she danced and the anxious looks she received when she called her out during rehearsal, Jacki honestly saw a younger version of herself. She was reminded of her early days in the industry. She recalled how they were filled with anxiety, self-doubt and uncertainty about whether or not she had what it took to succeed in the entertainment industry and whether her dreams and talent were enough to take her to the next level. When she was starting out, Jacki also lacked both years of technical and professional experience and remembered how hard she worked to prove herself worthy of the dance troupe she worked with. She'd wanted to quit so many times but she'd always remembered what she was doing it for, got back up and worked even harder on her craft. Those days were definitely not easy but she'd learned a lot in the process and would never take them for granted. Jacki knew that she had also come a long way!

It had taken three things for her to succeed: talent, passion and determination and Jacki could all of these same qualities in Mercedes. She felt drawn to the girl. In that moment, she wanted to take the younger girl under her wing and shelter her from all of the hardships of the industry that she knew she would eventually encounter. However, she also knew that tough love would be the best love to give in this situation. She would work Mercedes and push her until she got it, just like her mentor had done for her. She had faith in Mercedes. She knew the girl had talent for days, not only in singing but dancing as well and she knew she'd go very far. All she lacked was experience, but Jacki knew that that would only come with time. Sighing, a tiny smile played at the corner of Jacki's lips.

"Mercedes, I know you've been working hard, but I'll be honest with you, I'm going to need more from you..."

Mercedes slowly nodded again before looking down. She blinked several times, trying to prevent the tears that were threatening to overflow at any second. She couldn't stand that her best wasn't enough. She knew she had what it took to succeed but she was really struggling to get there.

"Mercedes, look at me."

Timidly, Mercedes raised her head and met Jacki's eyes. They were surprisingly very kind and compassionate. She looked Mercedes squarely in the eye. "Because I know you've been working, I'm gonna help you out." Jacki grabbed the lanyard around her neck and took one of the keys off. She held it up for Mercedes to see.

"This is a spare to the studio. I am going to give this to you and I trust you will use it wisely."

Mercedes stared back at the choreographer, wide eyed. Jacki Song was notoriously a ruthless choreographer that worked her dancers to the bone. She'd heard the stories of how she could cut you down with her words. She'd been warned that the woman had brought many professional dancers to tears. _Grown_ dancers. Ms. Song never made things easier for anyone. So why was she helping her out?

Jacki answered Mercedes' silent question. "I know you could use a professional space," she smiled and placed a hand on Mercedes' shoulder.

"Thank you so much!" Mercedes replied softly. She still couldn't believe what was happening.

Jacki smiled widely but resumed her professional stance. She cleared her throat. "I don't give this out to everyone so please don't make me regret this."

She handed the key out to Mercedes, who took it with reverence. She now had access to Jacki Song's private studio!

"I-I won't disappoint you!" Mercedes exclaimed with a 1000-watt smile.

"Wonderful," Jacki replied, with a kind smile. "You'll need to either come in early mornings or late nights because the studio is completely booked during regular business hours. Will that be a problem?"

Mercedes shook her head vigorously. The timeframe would mean a lot less sleep at night, but Mercedes didn't care. She was so grateful for the help. She felt overwhelmed with emotion and losing herself in the moment rushed forward and enveloped Jacki in a tight hug. Jacki was taken aback for a second but after a brief moment wrapped her arms around the girl.

"Thank you," Mercedes spoke softly.

Jacki released her and took in the girl's teary expression. "You're welcome. Now no more tears, honey! Let's get those routines perfected!"

Mercedes quickly swiped her eyes and smiled. "I promise I won't disappoint you!"

Jacki nodded approvingly. "That's what I like to hear." Reaching behind her, Jacki grabbed her bag and started to head out of room. "I want to see a perfect combination by next practice!"

"You got it!" Mercedes smiled. Jacki smiled back and waved and then she was gone.

Mercedes covered her mouth, still taken aback at what had just transpired. She grabbed her bag and removed her keys, carefully adding the spare to the ring. She couldn't believe her good fortune and smiled to herself with renewed confidence. She didn't care if she had to be in the dance studio every night; she was not going to let Jacki down!

* * *

_**Sam's POV**_

Sam groaned when he saw the big red "D" on his English paper. His third one this quarter. He didn't understand. He'd worked so hard on it but yet the results were the same. Frustrated, he began banging his fist against his head.

Tina turned around and faced him. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I'm stupid. That's what's wrong," he huffed in frustration.

Tina's eyebrows furrowed. "Hey..." She placed her hand on Sam's shoulder before firmly replying, "Sam, your dyslexia does not mean you're stupid"

"Tell that to this big fat D," Sam muttered.

Tina's frown deepened. "Stop. I'm not gonna fight with you over this. You're one of the smartest people I know and trust me when I say I don't throw that around often"

Sam pouted but considered her words. "You don't understand. I worked so hard on this one and still nothing. This is my third 'D' Tina. At this rate, I'm probably gonna fail the class!"

"Hey," Tina placed her hand on his. "No you won't. The school year just started, so you have plenty of time to turn this around. It's gonna be alright."

Sam didn't look convinced so she continued. "Maybe what you need is a tutor."

Sam gave her a blank stare. "And where am I supposed to find one of those?"

"Umm hello? Right here!" Tina pointed at herself. "English is my best class!" She held up her essay. She'd received an A _and_ a sticker.

Sam thought about her offer briefly but decided against it. "Nah, I couldn't make you do that..."

"What are you talking about? I'd be happy to do it. I'm offering you my help!"

"I don't know..."

"Sam stop! I'm gonna tutor you. End of story"

Sam looked at the girl. She had her hand on her hip, her brows were furrowed and her lips were tightly pursed. He shook his head. She was not going to take no for an answer. So he leveled with her. "Look Tina. I really appreciate you trying to help me, _really_ I do. And I'm more than willing to put in the work. But what if it's not enough?"

Tina's expression softened when she regarded the boy. He'd folded his arms and put his head down on the desk. His voice was soft, but she still heard him say, "I really need to get into those LA schools..."

Tina turned around, drumming her fingers on her desk as she thought. She really wanted to help Sam out. Tina was pretty sure she was the best one to help anyway. She had an excellent track record. She'd gotten both Mike and Rachel into their dream schools didn't she? Tina was certain she could do it for Sam too. She thought long and hard about how she could help her friend. She knew that he was pretty much set in terms of extracurriculars and she'd help him with his grades but he'd need something more. Something that would really make him stand out in those application pools. Tina's eyes widened when it hit her. Leadership! What Sam needed was to demonstrate his leadership!

Excited, she turned back around. "I have an idea!"

Sam raised an eyebrow. " What?"

"Student government!"

"Huh?"

"The elections silly! You should sign up! It'd be the perfect thing to give you that extra edge!"

"I don't know" Sam responded. "I don't know the first thing about politics and I kinda have a lot of responsibilities already. I mean with football and swimming and glee...not to mention, taking care of things at home, work and school, I kinda have my plate full."

"Don't worry about it! That's why you'll have a partner! A running mate!

"Like who, you?"

"No, I've got my heart set on demonstrating leadership in glee club. No more swaying in the background remember" She smiled and he returned it.

"So no... not me," she continued. "But someone like..." Tina looked around the classroom looking for a formidable partner for Blaine. Her eyes froze when she spotted a boy with gelled hair and a bowtie sitting two rows ahead of them. He was blankly staring out the window. Tina's eyes popped up at a thought she suddenly had. "Like Blaine!" she exclaimed. Sam watched as the boy turned his head in their direction after hearing his name. Tina caught his eye and summoned him over with the wave of her hand. He flashed them a small smile then proceeded to gather his things before he made his way over to them.

"Blaine?" Sam whispered skeptically.

"Yes! Artie told me Blaine was thinking of running against Brittany this year."

Sam thought back on his conversation with Brittany earlier that week. He'd met with her in the auditorium after she'd gotten kicked off the cheerios and was generally having a terrible week. She'd been missing Santana and after Coach Sylvester kicked her off the team, was intentionally attempting to hit rock bottom. Sam saw similarities between the two. They both missed their better halves but unlike Sam, who with the help of Tina was able to turn things around for the better, the girl was sinking. He felt terrible for her and because he could relate took it upon himself to cheer her up. He was glad that she finally had something else she could focus on rather than wallowing in her pain over her long distance relationship with Santana. Maybe Tina was right. Maybe the election would be just the thing he needed not only to get closer to his goal of joining Mercedes in LA, but also to work on himself and find somewhere positive to direct his energy.

Sam glanced beyond Tina and observed Blaine. Blaine Anderson had always kind of mystified him. To Sam, he was the golden boy with the silver spoon in his mouth. Prince Charming in the flesh. Blaine was a grade A prep school boy and shining star and whether he liked it or not, people paid attention to him. Sam didn't feel like he should jump right at the opportunity of working with the boy was because he wasn't quite sure if he and Blaine would be on the same page. He couldn't help but think of last year when he'd returned to Lima. Blaine had been the first one to judge him after hearing about his work at Stallionz. The whole thing had made him so angry because Blaine didn't even know him. He knew nothing about where he came from, what his life was like and what he was battling with on a daily basis but he had no problem jumping at the opportunity to tear him down. Ultimately, Sam had been more hurt than anything after their altercation. He didn't like what he had to do, in fact, he was ashamed of it and he would never do it unless he absolutely had to. But he did have to and once he'd finally had his dirty laundry aired to the entire glee club (once again!), he'd expected less judgment. Blaine eventually apologized for the incident and Sam forgave him but he couldn't bring himself to just forget that it had happened. He never quite saw the boy the same again.

On the other hand, Sam wasn't one to hold grudges. He really wasn't particularly close to the guy (for many reasons) but he was aware that Blaine was a winner. The ex-warbler was charismatic and even if he wasn't particularly popular at McKinley, he would be able to win people over with his dapper charm. Sam knew he'd stand a great chance of winning if they campaigned together. But he was still skeptical and his expression clearly displayed this to Tina.

Tina nudged him playfully. "C'mon Sam! It's the perfect thing!"

"Fine" Sam replied, sighing deeply. No matter what he felt about Blaine, he'd do whatever it took to get to Mercedes.

"What's up guys?" Blaine asked once he'd made his way over.

Tina glanced at Sam before replying. "Blaine! We uh, heard you were thinking of running for student body president!"

"Yea! I'm just trying to make my mark on McKinley in more way than one!"

Sam stifled a groan that was on the edge of his throat when Tina gave him a warning glance.

"Excellent!" Tina exclaimed. "Really, that's awesome! Have you found a running mate yet?"

Blaine returned her wide smile. "You know I have a few ideas... I was thinking about asking Logan from the football team if he could work it into his schedule...but you know how busy the team is around this time of year!" Blaine chuckled uncomfortably.

Tina smiled warmly. "Oh that sounds good. But you know what might be even better?"

Blaine looked confused but hopeful. "What?"

"If you ran with Sam!"

"Sam?" Blaine repeated, giving him the once over. Sam fought hard not to narrow his eyes. Intentional or not, Blaine could be so condescending at times. "I don't know..."

That's when Sam spoke up, flashing the smaller boy a wide fake smile. "Dude, if we teamed up, we would totally steal this election. My family's on food stamps, so that'll get you the sympathy vote. I'm not gay, so that'll help with the not gay vote annnnd... you know I don't wanna brag but my impressions are hilarious a hundred percent of the time!" Sam quirked his eyebrows at Blaine. "George Bush...c'mon!"

_Geez, how lame could this guy get?_ _My impression of Bush is on point, _Sam thought to himself, annoyed.

Blaine still looked skeptical but after glancing between Tina's wide grin and Sam's pleading eyes, he agreed. "Okay, sure"

"Yes!" Tina and Sam exclaimed, exchanging high fives.

Blaine smiled. "Can you meet me in the costume shop later? If we're going to do this we'll need to discuss our campaign strategy."

"Uh sure... I have a free period right after lunch"

"Perfect! Let's do that then"

"Alright, see ya then!"

Blaine nodded and returned to his seat.

Sam turned towards Tina and glared. She looked back at him with pursed lips. She was amused.

"I know, I know... He can be annoying sometimes but I know this is what you'll need. Just trust me, okay?"

Sam finally rolled his eyes and sighed. "Okay..."

Tina made sure that Blaine was out of earshot when she put both hands on Sam's shoulders and shook him. "Don't be like that. This'll be good, I swear."

"Okay! Geez Tina."

She stopped shaking him.

"I just don't like his attitude is all..." Sam continued.

"Trust me, I know! He can be a little irritating sometimes."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "A little?"

"Okay a LOT. But when it comes down to it, he's really a nice guy. He's dealing with this whole being away from his better half thing just the same way we are. I know for a fact he's missing Kurt like crazy"

That struck a nerve with Sam. He of all people knew what that felt like. Seems like the seniors left a lot of broken hearts in their wake. Kurt was like a brother to him and he knew how close the pair was. Last year, Blaine would frequently come over after school and hang out in Kurt's room for hours. As annoying as the boy could be, Sam knew he really cared for Kurt. Maybe even as much as he cared for Mercedes and that was something he could respect.

"Okay, Tina. I'll be on my best behavior."

"Great!" Tina smiled. "And I'll come over tonight to help you with your English homework. Have you started Perks of Being a Wallflower?"

Sam looked sheepish. "Not yet...I was actually going to watch the movie version"

"Figures" Tina scoffed. "Sam, it's an awesome book! You should really read it before watching the movie. The movie is great but the book is well worth your time as well. I'll be happy to help you get through it."

The bell rang signaling the start of lunch and Sam flashed her a small smile. "Thanks Tina." He began gathering his things and throwing them haphazardly into his backpack.

When the pair had all their items, they headed out the classroom.

"I have to go speak with Ms. Pillsbury so I won't be joining you for lunch. But I'll meet you after school okay?"

"Okay, I'll see you later!" Sam waved goodbye to Tina and made his way down to the cafeteria.

* * *

_**Mercedes' POV**_

Mercedes danced until every muscle in her body ached. She'd pushed herself harder than she'd ever worked before. Every time she felt like giving up, Jacki's words played in her head...

_"I'm going to need more from you..."_

"_Angelique will not be happy..."_

"_I want to see a perfect combination by next practice!"_

"_Please don't make me regret this..."_

And she pushed through, challenging the sharp pain in her feet. Her face was drenched in sweat and her breathing labored but she pressed on. She repeated the combination, thirty times, forty times, then fifty. Each time she slipped up, she isolated the botched move, repeated it several times until she got it, and then ran the routine all over again from the top.

Step.

Step.

Step.

Step.

Stop.

Pirouette.

Combination after combination, Mercedes executed the choreography over and over again. When she was certain that she could no longer move, she slowly slid herself down, collapsing in a heap on the ground. She brought her flushed and sweaty face to the cool floor and breathed deeply in and out. She closed her eyes and listened to nothing more than her pounding heartbeat, still racing from the strenuous workout she'd just endured.

When her breathing finally slowed, Mercedes gingerly brought herself to her feet. She winced as they touched the ground. Her poor babies were crying. She trudged over to her belongings and grabbed the small towel and water bottle from within it. Hastily unscrewing the cover, she brought the bottle to her lips and drank voraciously. She sighed in satisfaction as the pure, cool liquid slid down her throat and came to the conclusion that water was a national treasure. She drank until it was near empty and used her towel to wipe the sweat from her forehead. When her breathing was finally back to normal, she grabbed her belongings and headed out the door.

She turned around and locked the door checking twice to make sure she'd locked it correctly before heading to the elevator. Once on the ground floor, she groaned when she remembered how long the hallway to the main entrance was. She sighed deeply before beginning the painstaking journey to the front door.

As she walked she noticed that one of her laces had come undone. She frowned at the unruly laces but padded on. She really didn't want to bend over if she could help it. After tripping over them at least three times, she found that she really couldn't and rolling her eyes, Mercedes finally bent over to tie her loose laces.

She was in the middle of tying the knot a second time for extra security when she heard her name.

"Mercedes?" asked a curious voice from behind her.

Mercedes frowned. The voice was very familiar but she couldn't quite place it. The owner of the voice made his way in front of her. Mercedes peeked through the messy curtain of hair that had fallen free from her hair band and observed the worn sneakers in front of her. When she finally stood up, she came face to face with none other than Michael Chang Jr.

"Mike?!" Mercedes exclaimed, pleasantly surprised.

A warm smile came across Mike's features, lighting up his face. "I knew it was you! Hey!"

"Mike?" she repeated, still stunned to see her friend standing in front of her.

He grinned widely gesturing at himself. "In the flesh"

Mercedes shook her head in disbelief. She was very happy to see him, especially after the week she'd been having, but she was also very confused. Wasn't he supposed to be in school in Chicago? So she asked, "What are you doing here?"

Mike smiled. "Dance intensive program. I'm here for the semester."

"Oh wow! That's great! When did you come to LA?"

Mike scrunched his nose and thought back. "The last week of August"

"Oh, that's around the same time I got here"

"Cool," Mike nodded, smiling widely. He hadn't seen Mercedes in a long time and it was great to finally see someone he knew well.

He held out his arms to her.

Mercedes smiled sheepishly as she shook her head. "You don't wanna hug me. I smell! I've been at the studio since 5am!"

Mike smiled then raised his arms to sniff his own pits. He made a face. "I don't smell much better..." He chuckled. "Come 'ere girl!"

Mercedes hesitated for a moment but eventually accepted and wrapped her arms around him. She blushed when she felt his solid abs through the thin fabric of his tank. Tina wasn't playing when she bragged about his body back in the day! Mike was ripped! He gave Sam some serious competition!

Mike's firm body made her think of her Sammy's toned abs. The last time she'd seen them, they'd been lathered in massage oil. As it came close to time for her to leave for LA, she'd wanted to do something special for her man. Her parents were out for the weekend; her mom in Michigan dropping off a care package for Jermaine, her older brother, and her dad away in North Carolina on a dentistry conference. She'd had the house all to herself and it was prime time for her and Sam to get their sexy on. She'd invited him over for movie night but needless to say; neither of the two were paying much attention to the TV screen...

_Mercedes was stripped down to her underwear on top of Sam and the couple was engaged in a vicious game of tongue hockey. When they finally came up for air, Mercedes reached down to the floor and grabbed the massage oil she'd conveniently stashed in the pocket of her romper. She smirked at Sam who'd raised an eyebrow when she showed it to him. She gently ran her hands down the length of his bare chest before she leaned forward and caught his lips. When his hands began to fumble with the clasp of her bra, she took them both in hers and pinned them above his head. _

_"Uh Uh Uh!" she scolded him. _

_He pouted at her and opened his hands in a grabby motion. "I wanna play with Kim and Bey!" _

_Mercedes raised an eyebrow then frowned. "Kim and Bey?"_

_Sam had turned a fierce shade of red. "Yea... I named your boobies after two of the most curvy females in the game," he admitted sheepishly._

_Mercedes tried to glare at him but couldn't keep it up for long. Her boyfriend was a damn fool! She started laughing in spite of herself and in the process loosened up her grip on Sam's wrists. She realized what had happened when she felt his eager fingers roaming her body, inching their way up her spine, back to the clasp. She caught them again and roughly held them above his head once more. _

_"Mercedeeeees! You're not being fair," Sam whined._

_She grinned down at her boyfriend. He was so cute when he was desperate. She stroked his face lovingly. "You'll get your chance to play after, I promise." she winked at him. "But right now," she continued with a husky whisper, "...I just wanna make you feel good...," she gently teased him by stroking his already hardened penis. She stifled a giggle when she felt his body stiffen. _

_A slow hiss escaped his lips. "Don't play Mercedes! I have needs!" _

_"Oh, I know baby. I'm getting to them..." She brushed his hair away from his face and leaned forward again, but this time brought her lips to his chest. She __**peppered light **__kisses along the length of Sam's abdomen, pausing every so often to nip at his skin. She'd lick the bite to soothe the pain then do it all over again. Her warm tongue circled his nipples and she smiled when he let out a long breath. He was trying so hard to stay still so she moved faster. Opening up the bottle of oil, she positioned it over his body and squeezed the contents onto his frame. She used her fingers to carefully rub the oil into his sun-kissed skin. She was so engulfed in her handiwork that she didn't notice Sam staring lustfully up at her. When she finally looked up and caught his gaze, she smiled naughtily and trailed her hands to the waistband of his Superman boxers. She felt his erect length through the fabric making him shiver with need. "Mercedes, pleaseee. My needss!" She took pity on him and pulled the band down. She licked her lips because she knew it drove him crazy and she brought him into her mouth. Needless to say, his needs were met in full..._

Before she could stop herself, Mercedes let out a quiet moan at the memory. Her eyes grew wide and she pursed her lips tightly, praying that Mike had not heard her. But she knew he did when he started chuckling. "Uh, you okay down there Mercedes?"

Mercedes closed her eyes and silently cursed herself. She awkwardly released Mike and sheepishly looked up at him. "Yea, I'm fine," she giggled nervously. She released him and silently thanked God for her mocha complexion. She blushed fiercely as he continued to chuckle.

"So where are you headed?" Mike asked once he stopped laughing.

"I'm wanna grab some lunch. I'm starving!" Mercedes replied, rubbing her stomach.

"Really? I was actually about to get some myself. Do you need a ride?"

"Yea that'd be great. Thanks Mike," she beamed up at him.

"My pleasure. You wanna go anywhere in particular? I was thinking of getting some Chipotle's"

"Oh my gosh, YES. I could really go for a burrito...or some chips and guac... or a soft taco..." Mercedes rambled on. Right now she could go for anything Mexican really.

Mike laughed. "Mmmmm, I feel you. Chipotle's it is!"

The pair chatted as they quickly made their way to Mike's Honda Accord, eager to get their grub on.

* * *

**A/N:** Yayyyy Mike's in LA with Mercedes! I don't know about you guys, but I've been curious all season as to why those two keep showing up together! I don't actually mind though, it warms my Mikecedes heart every time I see it!

Also, I hope you guys don't mind that I kinda changed how the Blam election campaign came about. I really don't buy that Brittany would be able to convince season 3 Sam to join Blaine in the election without at least addressing the fact that Sam probably isn't extremely fond of Blaine. Also, I hate that the writers made him a complete airhead this season so I tried to give him more depth with regard to this situation. Hopefully it was believable!

What did you guys think about Jacki? I'm basing her character off of Carrie Ann Inaba from DWTS and Laurieann Gibson I hope she's likeable

Next up, SPARTIE BRO TIME & MORE MIKECEDES!

As always, let me know what you guys think! Your reviews make me happy and give me motivation to write! Until next time… ;)


	4. Catching Up

**A/N: **Hey guys! I'm back! :D I'm sorry I took so long with this update! School got in the way. Life got in the way. But IT'S FINALLY HERE! I tried to make this one a little longer than the others to make up for how long I took to update. Thank you again for being wonderfully kind to me by reading/reviewing/following/favoriting! You guys are seriously the BEST! I do not own GLEE and I apologize for any errors that I might've missed. Late night uploading will do that to you. As always, please let me know what you think! I love reading your thoughts! Happy Reading! :)

* * *

**Mercedes' POV**

"Hi! Can I take your order?" the eager employee smiled at Mike.

With a kind smile Mike replied, "Hi! Can I get a burrito in a bowl?"

The employee nodded as he entered the order in the cash register.

Glancing at Mercedes, Mike added, "And can I get three soft tacos for the lady?" Mike was asking Mercedes. The employee looked expectantly at the girl behind Mike. When she nodded, he repeated himself. "Three soft tacos."

The employee nodded and rang the order up before he began to prepare their food.

While they waited, Mike and Mercedes found a spot near to the counter. They sat down exchanging awkward glances and nervous smiles. Mike cleared his throat as his fingers drummed the table in a constant rhythm.

Mercedes took a look around the small restaurant. Save for what looked like an older married couple and a group of teen girls, the store was relatively empty. Feeling antsy, she began to fiddle with her hair. Eventually, growing annoyed with herself she finally turned to speak to Mike.

"So-" she began, only to giggle when Mike looked up as well. They'd uttered the same word in unison. "You first," Mercedes smiled.

Mike returned her smile. "I was just going to say that it was really cool running into you like that. LA's a big city and other than a couple of guys from my dance team, I don't really know a lot of people here."

Mercedes nodded, smiling warmly. "I know exactly what you mean. It's really weird coming from a small town where_ everywhere_ you go you run into a familiar face, to the complete opposite!"

"Except today of course" Mike grinned feeling more comfortable.

She smiled back before repeating him. "Except today."

She opened her mouth to speak but stopped when Mike got up to get their food. When he came back, he set a tray in front of her before setting down his own and reclaiming his seat. He handed her a straw and some napkins. She gratefully took it from him, ready to dig into her food. Taking his straw between his lips, Mike ripped the paper covering open and inserted it into the plastic drink cover and took a sip. He looked over at Mercedes who seemed to be praising her food. Her eyes rolled back into her head when she opened up the foil and smelt her food. He laughed when she rubbed her hands together, anxious to dig in. She took a big bite of her first taco and let out a low moan of appreciation. She was so caught up in her foodgasm that it took her awhile to notice Mike staring at her. She smiled and finished chewing the piece of taco that was in her mouth before she spoke. "What?"

Mike shook his head. "Nothing. It's just really great to see you."

Mercedes smiled. "It's great to see you too Mike".

And it was. It had been a long time since they'd hung out like this. In all truth, glee club wasn't when they'd first been introduced. They'd known each other well before that. Mike and Mercedes went _way_ back. They'd practically grown up together. Mike's mother Julia was also a dentist and had met Mercedes' father while they were in college. They were close friends who had stayed in touch over the years. It was actually Mike's mom who had introduced Charles to Mercedes' mom Diane, her roommate at the time. The Changs lived just down the street from the Joneses so Mike had been a very constant presence in Mercedes' early life. The Changs came to every cookout, BBQ, Christmas and birthday party the Jones' threw while Mercedes and her family were also at every Chang soiree. Mike and Mercedes had even been enrolled in the same dance classes when they were younger. However, Mercedes stopped after about two years of dance to focus on her voice.

Mike and Mercedes used to be really close. Practically inseparable. It was only sometime during middle school when they drifted. Those awkward years of puberty and peer pressure had sorted them into different echelons: Mike falling into the popular crowd, joining the football, basketball and track teams while Mercedes kind of faded into the background, singing in the middle school choir and more or less keeping to herself. Though they had rekindled their friendship and grown closer in high school once they'd both become members of New Directions, they'd never truly been as close as they were before. But now, here they were again.

The doors of the restaurant swung open and in walked two men. Two women followed shortly after and Mercedes assumed that they were their wives. Each father held a small child on their shoulders, one a boy and the other a girl. The girl pointed at the menu over her father's head, making sure her dad knew exactly what she wanted.

"Daddy, tacos! I want that one!"

Her father swung her over his head and held her in his arms. "Okay sweetie and what would you like to drink?"

"Fanta! Can I have Fanta pweeeease?"

The parents laughed as the girl's father replied, "Of course you can Asia."

The other father turned to his son. "What about you Matt?"

The little girl interjected. "Matty wants tacos too! Just like me! Right Matty?"

The young boy, who was now standing beside his father with his thumb in his mouth and his hand on his father's jeans slowly nodded. He took his thumb from his mouth and gave a shy grin before replying, "Tacos too"

Asia grinned widely, seemingly very proud of herself. "Seeeee daddy! Matty always wants what I want!"

Her father chuckled "I see, honey"

Mike looked over at Mercedes, who was still watching the family with amusement. He nodded in their direction smiling. "Well isn't that a familiar sight?"

Mercedes nodded as she giggled.

"Mikey always wants what I want," Mike repeated, mimicking the little girl.

Mercedes reached across the table and smacked him lightly on the arm. "Oh hush! You know you always did!"

"I didn't I?" Mike grinned.

"Mhmm"

They turned their attention back to the family who had just received their food. Asia's father put her down to grab the food and the little girl took Matt's hand as they headed over to an empty booth. Matt let Asia climb in first before quickly following after her. Their parents placed the food on the table as they joined them and Asia was quick to grab her drink. She drank some of her Fanta before turning to her friend and offering him a sip, which he gladly took.

"Awwwww!" Mercedes cooed at the action. "I remember we used to do that too, except _you'd_ always take my drink first!"

Mike chuckled at the memory before responding. "But I remember a certain someone would always dive into _my_ food first. So I guess we're even" He smirked at her smugly.

She playfully rolled her eyes and snorted. "Whatever!"

"I miss it," Mike said suddenly catching Mercedes off guard. "I wish we were still close." He smiled shyly at her.

"We're still friends, Mike."

"Yea but I miss being your _best_ friend. We had a lot of fun growing up together."

"We did," Mercedes agreed.

Mike cleared his throat "I never really said anything before, so I'll say it now. I'm sorry we drifted apart in middle school. I'm also sorry that I was a jerk to you. You didn't deserve that. You deserved so much better."

Mercedes smiled sadly. "It's cool Mike. It's in the past. We were young and having a girl for a best friend wasn't cool then..."

Mike shook his head. "Some of the people I hung out with were jerks. And then there was Margo..." He trailed off, shaking away the memory before he continued, "You were a better friend to me than any of them had ever been. I should've stood up for you. I should've done better. I'm so sorr-"

"Hey..." Mercedes said cutting him off. "It's cool. We're not the same people anymore. We're older and wiser right? Don't sweat the small stuff. We're cool now. That's all that matters. We're still friends Mike." She grabbed his hand and smiled.

He nodded slowly. "Right. Still friends. I'm really glad we are."

"Me too. And thanks for apologizing. You really didn't have to but it means a lot to me that you did"

A ghost of a smile appeared on his lips. "I mean every word."

"I know you do," Mercedes smiled reassuringly, patting him on the back of his hand. And she did. She could see the sincerity in his eyes. His expression earnest as he tried to convey to her just how sorry he was for ignoring her all those years in middle school.

* * *

Middle school had been one of the toughest times of her life. Because the tiny town of Lima, Ohio was filled with many loud mouths and small minds, she was often teased. For her size. The way her hair looked. The clothes she wore. She'd learned at a very young age that being different wasn't a good thing. Not in Lima, anyway. Eventually she figured that fitting in would be her only way of surviving.

But that was easier said than done. Being one of fifteen black children in her school and the only black girl in many of her classes, Mercedes often felt like an alien. Like she didn't belong. She was a very smart girl, excelling in all of her classes especially English, Math and Science. But she found that being smart wasn't enough. Not in Lima, anyway.

Her teachers weren't always fair and she found herself being constantly picked on in class, both by students and teachers. At the end of the bell, she'd sometimes find several balled up pieces of paper in her hair. Sometimes walking down the halls, she'd catch boys glancing her way snickering and girls just staring. It bothered her of course, but she always tried not to let it get the best of her. Her mother had taught her to love herself and her older siblings had warned her that middle school was going to be tough. So she was more or less prepared for things to be difficult. She could handle the dirty looks she got from the girls in her school. She could deal with the clownish boys that poked fun at her. She was better than them. She _knew_ she was going places, and she often reminded herself of that truth. Their words could only hurt her if she let them. So she didn't. She remained focused.

Besides the social stuff, she genuinely enjoyed school. She loved learning. She loved obtaining new information. She craved it. Like a sponge, she came to class everyday prepared to soak up the lessons her teachers would give. She knew that education was very important to her future success. She was determined to be somebody someday. But her focus she found again wasn't enough. Though she often knew the course material, her science teacher Mrs. Ingram would make it a big deal if she ever forgot something, sneering at her when she failed. Mrs. Ingram would then turn around and call on her favorite student, Sandra Rosenberg, a petite blond with big blue eyes who _always_ had the right answers and would smile smugly at Mercedes when she corrected her.

On lab days, Mercedes felt ostracized when she couldn't find a partner, yet her teacher made no attempt to help her out. The same happened in her gym class and her history class. Everything that occurred during this time made her feel like she didn't belong. Like she wasn't supposed to be there. She went home on the brink of tears almost every day, only allowing the tears to fall once she was safely in the confines of her bedroom.

Through it all, she had Mike. He'd stuck up for her every chance he got. He put bullies in their place when they got out of pocket and cut off friendships with any of the girls that disrespected Mercedes. He made it known that she was his best friend and no one could touch her when he was around. With his actions, Mike declared that disrespect for his best gal pal was unacceptable. Mercedes used to call Mike late at night to meet her at their spot: the swing set on the playground at a park near their houses. They'd sneak out after curfew and just talk. On her worse days, he'd hold her in his arms silently until she stopped crying. Then they'd swing together until she felt better and he'd walk her back to her house before scurrying off to his own. She never told him then, but those nights meant everything to her. Knowing her best friend, her Mikey, was always there for her gave her the strength to face another day.

Then the summer between 6th and 7th grade changed everything.

That summer, Mike was trying out for the school's football team, so they didn't hang out as often anymore. It didn't worry Mercedes at first because they still talked on the phone and met at their spot regularly. Mike still came to the Jones' gatherings, but things were different. All he wanted to talk about was football this and football that. He'd talk about all of his new friends from the team including Matt Rutherford, Finn Hudson and even the class clown Noah Puckerman. Mike was also quickly becoming popular with the ladies and was invited to many house parties, while Mercedes was not. Mercedes was starting to feel like Mike wasn't _hers_ anymore. She hated feeling like that, but she didn't say anything. She was happy for him. She _really_ was, but she couldn't help the pang in her heart every time he called to cancel on her. She could feel him slipping away. Every. Single. Day.

Eventually Mike started dating the new girl, a pretty brunette named Margo Peters and all he could talk about then was Margo this and Margo that. Mercedes really didn't mind Margo. The girl was very sweet. She'd moved from Texas and was different from all the fake girls that usually fussed over Mike. She respected the friendship that Mercedes and Mike had. Well, at least at first she did. Then things started happening. Soon Mike started cancelling on their routines, like their Friday night movie and video game marathons and their after school ice cream "dates" to hang out with Margo. Mercedes tried not to let it bug her because Margo _was_ his girlfriend but pretty soon Mercedes started to feel left out. She forgave him when he showed up late to a couple of their study sessions. She let it go when he didn't call her back after she left him a few voicemails. But the absolute last straw came soon enough.

It happened on a Tuesday night. Mercedes had experienced a particularly rotten day. She'd received her first "C" in her science class and she'd stayed after class asking for extra credit opportunities, which of course, her teacher did not give her. In the end, she was fifteen minutes late to lunch and by the time she'd got to the cafeteria, they were all out of tater tots. Her favorite! Later that day, a group of popular girls had stolen her clothes from the locker room after their swim class. Mercedes had had to wait in the change room until the hallway had cleared out, before she walked in her towel and wet swimsuit to the lost and found to find clothes. By the time she was finished, she'd missed almost half of 6th period, which was History and Mr. Donovan, her second least favorite teacher had made sure to make a show of it. She'd been completely humiliated.

After school, she texted Mike asking him to meet her at their spot, to which he quickly replied with an "Of course".

At 10:15PM that night, she'd already texted Mike again, snuck out of her house and was making her way to the park. She sat down on her favorite swing and swang for a bit while she waited. Lost in her own world. Staring at nothing in particular. The cool night air made her feel calm. This place was her solace. Here none of what had happened that day mattered. She could just forget all about it. Even if it were only for a short while. Everything was better here. Now if only Mike could get his ass here...

Mercedes glanced at her phone. 10:23PM. Mike was still nowhere to be found. She texted him again, starting to feel a little anxious.

_He'll be here_. _I know he will_, she thought, willing herself to calm down.

Mercedes swung a little longer, but a nagging feeling was starting to build within her.

_What if he isn't coming_?

Glancing at her phone again, she saw that it was now 10:31PM. Time was going and Mike still wasn't there.

She tried to calm herself as she pumped her legs on the swings.

Back and forth.

Back and forth.

But she felt no comfort.

She called him a few minutes later, to no avail. She tried three more times, receiving the busy tone each time.

Margo.

He was probably with fucking Margo.

Angry tears started to fall from her eyes at 10:46PM, when there was still no sign of Mike. She'd stopped swinging by then.

_How could he do this to her? _

He'd promised to always be there for her. _Especially_ when she asked him to meet her here. Their meetings at their spot meant business. It meant that one of them was hurting something fierce and this was where they comforted one another.

_Where was he?_

Mercedes felt her heart swell as she finally realized that he wasn't coming.

At 11:34PM, she finally got up to head home. She wiped at her eyes but she couldn't stop the tears from falling down her face.

Mike had stood her up.

_He __**promised**_.

She was angry now, but most importantly, she was hurt. She gasped as the sobs filled her lungs. She felt like she was suffocating. One thought swirled around her head over and over again.

_Alone in the world. _

_I'm all alone. _

When she got home, she rushed to her room and got under her covers and cried herself to sleep.

The next day, on her way to school, she spotted Mike and Margo at the park.

Margo was sitting on _her_ swing.

They were making out at _their_ spot.

Mercedes lost it.

Before she could stop herself she was all the way over at the swing set. Margo spotted her before Mike did and gave her a confused stare as she breathed "Mercedes?"

Mike turned around then and she slapped him.

_Hard._

He reclined from the blow and looked up at her angry and confused.

"OW! WHAT THE FUCK MERCEDES!"

"THAT WAS FOR YESTERDAY!"

"Yesterday?" Mike looked quizzically at her, pulling her aside.

"YES! I told you to meet me at the spot Mike. You _said_ you'd be here!" She hissed.

Mike smacked his forehead as realization hit him. "Shit! Mercedes I'm so sor-"

"Don't!" she yelled holding her hand up to his face. "I don't want to hear it Mike. I needed you. You said you'd be there. I _waited _for you." She pointed her finger at his face. Tears were filling her eyes now.

Mike looked visibly troubled. "Why didn't you remind me? I would've came! You know I would've!"

Mercedes laughed bitterly at that. "Remind you? Are you fucking kidding me? I texted you over and over again! I _called_ you!"

"No you didn't. I didn't get anything from you..."

"Mike! I can show you my phone! I swear I blew up your phone last night! Don't you _dare_ tell me you didn't get anything from me!"

"Mercedes I swear...I didn't"

Her brows furrowed in confusion.

Then it clicked.

Of course.

_Margo. _

She stepped around Mike, pointing her finger in her face. "YOU! You did something didn't you?"

Mike turned to look at Margo as she hung her head. "Y-yes. It was me. I deleted the texts and the calls." Turning towards Mike she continued, "I wanted you to myself. I know she needed you. But I needed you too."

A series of expressions came over Mike's face, finally understanding what had happened. "You didn't..."

Margo hung her head again. "I'm sorry Mike"

Mike's jaw clenched as he turned toward her, angry, but he stopped when he saw Mercedes walking away from them out of the corner of his eye. He shook her head at Margo before taking off after his friend.

"Mercedes wait!"

But she didn't turn around. She was running now. So he ran after her.

"Mercedes!"

"Just leave me alone Mike!"

"I'm sorry!"

"JUST GO AWAY!"

"Mercedes stop!"

She was fast, but he was faster.

He finally caught up with her at the street corner. He grabbed her hand, which she quickly pulled out of his grasp.

"Let go Mike!"

"I'm sorry!"

"Look, I get it Mike! You have a girlfriend now. I'm just getting in the way."

"I should've been there. I'm sorry"

"Just drop it okay?"

"But Merced-"

"NO! I can't believe you! Even if you didn't come last night, you could've at least had the decency not to bring her to our spot." Her voice was wavering.

"Mercedes..."

"It's _ours! _And you bring _her_ there. Right after you stood me up!"

Anger flashed over Mike's features. "I FORGOT OKAY! AND IT'S NOT MY FAULT SHE DELETED THE MESSAGES!"

"YOU BROUGHT HER TO OUR SPOT MIKE! _OUR_ SPOT!" She was sobbing now.

And then he said it.

"OH MY GOD! IT'S NOT _OUR_ SPOT! IT'S A PARK MERCEDES! WE DON'T OWN IT!"

Mercedes looked at him shocked. She could not believe the words that had just came out of his mouth.

_Not our spot? Who was this guy?_

She couldn't even look at him. So she turned on her heel and began to walk away.

"Mercedes, don't, don't go..."

"Just forget it Mike!" she yelled at him without turning around.

"Mercedes!"

"FUCK OFF MIKE!"

Mercedes let out a sigh of relief when he took the hint and didn't follow her. She made her way to the school bathroom first thing to clear up her face. She ignored his calls and his texts. She dodged him in the hallways and hid after school until he left. She made her mother and father tell him she wasn't feeling well, but he _knew_. He knew she was avoiding him. This went on for about two weeks before he finally stopped calling. Eventually, he stopped showing up to her family parties. Even when his parents did. They always sheepishly gave some lame excuse. Mike had some sporting event to practice for or some big test to study for or something else. Suddenly he was busy. Always busy.

Mercedes felt empty. So empty. But she carried on. She was a strong girl. She'd learned that from her Momma. She didn't need Mike. Not anymore.

* * *

**XXXX**

She took a sip of her drink as she brought her thoughts back to the present. Realizing that their drinks had finally run out, Mike grabbed both of their cups and marched over to the drink dispenser for refills. She smiled faintly as she realized that they had come a long way. Time had healed some of her wounds. High school and glee club had brought them back together and although he wasn't _her _Mike anymore, he was still a part of her life. He'd started attending their parties again sophomore year and they had real conversations again. It was nice. They never brought up the park or Margo ever again, not wanting to taint the friendship they'd managed to salvage. It still hurt and it wasn't perfect, but it was better than nothing. She'd missed him. She was glad to see that he seemed to miss her too.

Mike returned with the drinks: Ice tea for her, Sprite for him. She smiled gratefully at him as he took his seat. Mercedes had felt alone. For a very long time she even hated Mike. For leaving her all alone back then. But she was over it. She wanted to move on. So she decided to change the subject.

Mustering up a confident smile she spoke, "I don't really want to talk about the past. I'm excited about the future! We are in college, Mike! We're on the path towards our dreams! Isn't that amazing?"

Mike looked a little relieved, shifting in his seat before he replied. "I know. It's crazy isn't it?"

"Crazy doesn't even begin to describe this. What's it like being a dance major?"

"It's fun. Lots of hard work of course! We condition on a daily basis, learn some techniques and experiment with various styles of dance. It's everything I'd hoped it would be and more. I'm glad I didn't go through with traditional college. I don't know what I'd do with myself if I was still studying to be a doctor!"

Mercedes chuckled. "I'm really happy for you, Mike..."

He offered her a warm smile. "Tell me about your life. How's the stuff at the label?"

Mercedes grinned. "It's been great! I love being in the studio and experimenting with new sounds. I'm really just a backup singer, but with the money I'm making at my part-time job, I'm able to afford some studio time every now and then."

"Do you still write?"

Mercedes' eyes sparkled and her lips pulled into an even wider smile. "All the time. Oh my gosh, I can't believe you remembered!"

"Of course I remember, Mercedes. You've been writing songs since we were kids," Mike rolled his eyes playfully at her.

Mercedes giggled "Well yea, I'm writing better songs now. They're more lyrical and I know my voice better so I'm able to write things that suit the style I like _and _match my ability."

"That's great Mercedes. I'm proud of you"

Mercedes beamed.

"What else are you up to?"

"Well obviously, you know I'm back in the dance studio working on a routine for an upcoming performance. My boss is getting ready for a big showcase. It's hard. I don't have all the training that the other dancers do, but I'm hanging in there. Putting in extra work."

Mike nodded slowly, an idea coming into his head. "If you want, I could give you some pointers. Maybe a few lessons? Only if you don't mind of course!"

Mercedes looked over at Mike thinking it over in her head before a small smile appeared on her face. "Thanks Mike. I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

**Sam's POV**

It was a Friday afternoon and Sam was on his way to Artie's. Artie had kept going on and on the entire week about the games he'd just bought: BioShock Infinite and Far Cry 3 for Xbox360 and Grand Theft Auto 5 and Gran Turismo 5 for PS3. And that was just a few titles he'd picked up. Sam was stoked! After a week of school, hardcore study sessions with Tina, campaign preparations with Blaine as well as glee club, football and swim practices, Sam was ready to unwind!

Artie's house was a short bus ride away. The #44 Bus came around 3:55pm. Sam hopped onto the bus, dropping his change into the collector and started making his way to the back of the bus when he spotted a familiar face.

"Puck?"

The boy with the infamous Mohawk flashed him his prize winning smile and winked. "The one and only"

Sam took his seat beside him, pulling him into a "bro-hug" after they completed their secret handshake. "Dude what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in LA?"

Puck nodded, "I'm just here for the weekend. Came here to talk some sense into my brother's head."

Sam was confused. "Your brother?"

"Yea. His name's Jake."

"Oh you mean the new kid? The pretty boy with the bad attitude?"

"Yea... I think..."

"He tried out for Glee club a couple weeks ago. Heard, he was pretty much in till he trashed the place."

Puck nodded. "Yea sounds about right. Mr. Schue called me up to come speak to him. Paid for my ticket back here and everything. Dude, _I_ didn't even know I had a brother."

"How'd he take it?"

"He was pissed. Didn't know he had a brother either."

"I don't really know if I like that guy..."

"Hey, I didn't think I'd like him either, but you'll warm up to him. The bad boy shit is all a front, trust me. I told him to think about joining New Directions. Told him some crap about how it made me a man"

Sam shifted in his seat contemplating this new information for a second before he shrugged. "I guess we could use a couple new guys."

"Well he said he'd think about it. Not that he was joining..."

"Okay"

"Let me know if he does."

"Sure thing."

"And it'd be cool if you could keep an eye out for him. It's kinda hard to be a big bro to him all the way in LA"

"No problem, man."

"Good," Puck grinned.

Sam decided to change the subject. "So how's life in LA?"

"It's fucking amazing man! I was made for the big city! The nightlife is awesome! And the GIRLS! Man you gotta come out to LA soon!"

Sam chuckled. "I don't think that would make Mercedes happy"

Puck raised an eyebrow. "I thought you two weren't together anymore."

"We are, well no we're not. It's just- it's complicated man," Sam finally finished. "I still want to be with her. I just can't physically be with her. So we're technically on a break"

Puck shook his head. "You're so whipped man"

Sam shoved him. "Dude shut up. I know that already! She's, she's just not like any other girl I've ever been with. She's amazing"

Puck shook his head again, but he smiled. "I know. She's a 'take no shit from anybody' type of chick. Never took my shit neither. She's a keeper."

Sam nodded in agreement. "I know."

"I hit her up sometimes. I think she's doing pretty well for herself. She told me she was recording some of her own songs. I asked her if I could get on the track and she said she'd work something out. Thought that was pretty sweet."

Sam smiled. "Yea that's Mercedes. Always looking out for everyone."

"If you didn't have your heart set on her, I think I'd try dating her again. She wasn't like anyone I'd ever dated either."

Sam punched him playfully on the arm. "Hey man, she's off limits. I don't even want you _thinking_ about her wrong."

Puck laughed and raised his hands in defense. "Bro just chill. It's not like she'd give me the time of day anyway... I think she still wants a bite of that white chocolate, if you know what I mean..." He wiggled his eyebrows at Sam, who hit him again.

"Ouch! It's TRUE!"

Sam laughed. "Don't talk about my girl like that."

Puck rubbed his arm, "Right your _girl_. The one you're not even dating..."

He dodged another hit.

"It's cool, I got my eye on some cougars up in LA. There are many rich, lonely hot mamas that _need_ my tender love and care and Puckasaurus is all too willing to provide. I'm honestly too young and way too much of a stud to be tied down anyway..."

Sam shook his head at his friend in amusement. Somethings never change.

The pair arrived at Artie's house a few minutes later and were let in by Mrs. Abrams. She let them know that Artie was in the den making sure everything was set up for some hardcore gaming.

"PUCK!" Artie exclaimed when he caught sight of his friend.

The two performed their bro handshake before they all got right down to business, running through each of Artie's new games. Sam was kicking both Puck and Artie's asses for a while, but eventually Artie got the game back on lock and demolished them both. Sam groaned in frustration, while Puck trash talked Artie who just gave them both a smug look.

"Bro! I know you cheated!" Puck accused.

"And how would I have cheated? I literally just got these games. Y'all just mad 'cause y'all suck! Noobs!"

Puck narrowed his eyes at Artie, but decided to drop it before yelling out, "REMATCH!"

The boys played for a good two hours. Dishing out insults when they were winning and groaning in frustration when they were losing. They'd missed this. Video game night was routine for the trio. Mike and Finn were also regulars and occasionally, so was Blaine. Kurt didn't care much for video games but would come along to watch. Sometimes on a very rare occasion, Mercedes and Tina would join in as well and kick all their asses. But the boys didn't really like to talk about that.

Eventually they got tired of playing games and grew hungry instead. Puck went upstairs and raided Artie's cupboard. He came back with his arms full of chip bags and dip, a two-liter bottle of Coke and some cups. After placing the food on the coffee table, Puck grabbed the bag of Tostitos and started eating straight from the bag, shoving handfuls of chips into his mouth at a time. Sam ate from the bag of Cool Ranch Doritos with a little more grace than Puck, while Artie drank poured himself a drink. Aside from the rustling of chip bags and munching, a comfortable silence filled the room.

A few minutes later Artie turned to Puck. "So what's good in LA?"

Puck's eyes lit up. "Dude, everything! I was just telling Sam over here all about it. I'm living the life out on the West coast! The sun is always shining, my pool cleaning business is booming and the ladies...mmm mmm mmm.." Puck closed his eyes, seemingly caught up in some type of lustful memory. "Man, I love LA!"

Artie and Sam exchanged amused glances.

Puck sat up suddenly, turning to point at them both, "Both of you need to come visit me! I'm telling you, you haven't _lived_ until you party in LA!"

"Dude, you know I'd be out there in a heartbeat, _if_ I had the money. Not all of us are lucky enough to be funded by Mr. Schue!" Sam replied, giving Puck a look.

Puck shrugged as Artie interjected, "Speaking of parties, Sugar's planning another one of her big bashes. Her father's going away for the weekend in a couple of weeks. It's supposed to be a wild one!"

"Dude are you still seeing her?" Puck exclaimed.

"Well kind of," Artie responded. "To be honest, I'm not sure where we stand sometimes but ever since Rory left, we've kind of been a thing again. It's been nice not being single."

"Bro, there is _nothing_ wrong with being single. I mean look at me and Sam...Well look at me. Sam hasn't felt, much less _seen_ pussy since the summer!"

Artie snickered as Sam flung a cushion in Puck's direction. "Shut the fuck, man"

Puck dodged just before it could hit him square in the face. "It's not like it ain't true! When's the last time you've seen one? Don't. Lie!"

Sam didn't say a word. He just glared at Puck and gave him the finger. Sometimes Puck could be so full of shit.

Puck chuckled.

"How's Mercedes anyway? Do you guys hang out in LA?" Artie asked.

"She's good. She's kinda busy doing her own thing, but I've met up with her a couple times"

"Cool," Artie nodded.

"Matter of fact," Puck continued, "I ran into her just the other day at the park. Sometimes I sing and play my axe for change there. She was jogging. Guess who she was with?"

"Who?" Sam asked, his curiosity suddenly peaked.

"Mike."

"Mike?" Sam repeated, his brows furrowing.

"Mike who, Chang?" Artie asked.

"Yup"

"What's he doing in LA? Isn't he supposed to be in Chicago?" demanded Sam.

"Dude! That's what _I_ thought! But he said something about being there for the semester. Dance intensive or some shit..."

Sam brows were still set in a frown. "When did you run into them?"

"A couple days ago. He's been there since the end of August apparently. Said he'd be there for the semester"

Sam sat back in his seat, feeling a twinge of jealousy and confusion overtake him.

He'd spoken to Mercedes _just_ last night. She never mentioned anything about Mike being in LA. Surely that was something worth mentioning? Why didn't she say anything?

Sam shook his head and cleared his mind of any negativity. If Mercedes didn't say anything, then she probably had her reasons. He decided then that he'd speak to her that night and just ask. There was no sense in jumping to any conclusions.

"She's running again? Pft, second term my ass! She didn't do _fuck all_ the first time!"

Sam finally brought himself back to the present to see Puck and Artie arguing over Brittany's track record as senior class president.

"Well, she _did_ throw a great prom! You've got to give her that!" Artie defended.

"That's true," Puck agreed, stroking his chin in deep thought. "But it still doesn't change that she pretty much did nothing the rest of the year."

Artie couldn't disagree there. "Look. She basically said she had no problem being a figurehead while _I_ made all the big decisions. It was an offer I couldn't refuse..."

Puck nodded in appreciation.

"Too bad you won't get the chance," Sam piped up.

Artie turned to face him. "Excuse me?"

Sam smirked at his friend. "You heard me. I hate to break it to you but Blaine and I are taking this election. There's no way McKinley is re-electing Brittany!"

Artie scoffed. "First of all, we are_ definitely_ taking this one. And when we _do_, you are going to eat those words my friend. Brittany's _way_ more popular than Blaine and you know it. Plus she's a _girl_ and chicks dig female empowerment!"

"Yea well, it's not very "empowering" when the person you voted for does nothing to better the school. Female or not. Plus Blaine and I are studs! No offense bro. He's got the whole Prince Charming thing going for him and I'd be the ideal wingman. It's a prize winning combination and I frankly just don't see us losing."

Artie began to protest, defending his platform and his running mate, while Sam countered all of his arguments and backed up the "Blam" campaign.

After trading a few insults and withering glares, the two turned to Puck and exclaimed in unison, "WHO WOULD YOU VOTE FOR?"

* * *

**XXXX**

Shortly after 10:00PM, Sam finally called Mercedes. She picked up after the second ring.

"Hey!" she exclaimed when she answered.

"Hey yourself," Sam smiled to himself. Hearing her voice always did something to him.

"I was just thinking about you..."

"Oh really?" Sam replied, intrigued.

"Yea," she giggled, "Iron Man's on TV".

Sam chuckled. "Sweet. How was your day?"

"It was nice."

"What'd you do?"

"You know, the usual. Went to class. Hit the studio right after. Then I had work. Just got back actually."

Sam nodded to himself, the feeling of paranoia starting to creep up within him yet again.

Still no mention of Mike.

"Anything exciting happen lately?"

There was a pause on the other line and Sam held his breath before she responded. Exhaling when she finally did.

"No not really..."

But he heard it. That little blip in her voice. The one he'd grown to recognize. It happened anytime she was hiding something from him.

Sam swallowed before he replied.

He really hated seeming like the jealous type. Especially when they weren't even really dating, but he couldn't help it. He'd been naive before in the past. When he was dating Quinn, he'd trusted her completely. Believed everything she said even when everyone else told him that she was cheating on him. Even when the signs were all there, he'd trusted her word above everyone else's. Like a good boyfriend would. They had a good thing going. He couldn't bring himself to believe that she'd ruin it by cheating on him. But in the end she was and it had hurt, _terribly_. Eventually, once he started dating Santana, he didn't feel the pain as much anymore. He'd grown to trust her. She'd been the first one to tell him the truth about Quinn after all. Besides, she said she'd be a better girlfriend to him than Quinn ever was, and for a little while, she was.

Sam found that Santana was much easier to read than Quinn. She didn't mess with his head the same way Quinn had, in fact, much of their relationship was more or less physically driven. He'd gotten further with her than he ever had with Quinn and it was nice. For a while. Eventually he discovered that just like Quinn, she'd been using him. To get under Brittany's skin, of all things. He'd been fooled_ twice_. He felt like a complete idiot.

Then Mercedes came along.

It had taken him awhile to trust anyone with his heart again, but she'd healed all those wounds and proved herself to him every single day they were together and one by one she'd removed all of the bricks from the wall he didn't even know he'd started to build around his heart. She got to the core of him eventually and he finally got it. She wasn't like other girls. She wasn't Quinn, and she wasn't Santana. She would never hurt him. He was certain he was in love with her. She would never do anything to hurt him. So why was she hiding something this small from him?

She was going on about something that had happened during her rehearsal when he finally blurted out, "Why didn't you tell me Mike was in LA?"

Silence.

Sam waited. His heart started to pound within him. He knew this feeling. What she said next could either confirm his suspicions or grant him relief.

"I- I...How'd you know Mike was in LA?" she asked softly.

"Puck told me"

"Oh..."

"Why didn't you tell me, Mercedes? Why didn't you even mention it?"

"...I don't know," she finally admitted.

Sam let out a slow hiss of air he didn't even know he was holding in. He could tell she was being honest. "Is something wrong?"

"No," she lied. "...Well, not really"

"What's wrong Mercedes? Did Mike do something?"

"No! No, he didn't. Not recently anyway..."

Sam's brows furrowed. "What do you mean by that?"

Mercedes let out a deep breath over the line. "I don't think I've ever told you this, but Mike and I used to be really close. Best friends actually."

"What happened?" Sam asked, suddenly feeling very protective of his ex.

"It's stupid.," she managed to breathe out. Her voice wavering.

"No it's not Mercedes. Whatever it was, I can tell it's still bothering you."

There was silence again over the line.

It was silent for so long that Sam lifted his phone from his ear to check if they were still connected.

They were.

"Mercedes, you still there?"

"Yea," she sniffed.

"Look, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But know that I'm ready to listen whenever you're ready to talk."

There was a pause before she responded. "No, I want to tell you..."

Mercedes recounted all of her childhood friendship with Mike. Sam felt his heart clench when she spoke about being bullied. He'd had no idea she'd had it _that_ bad. She'd never even mentioned any of this while they were dating. When she got to the part about that fateful day, he grew angry. How could Mike be so stupid? Sure he was young but you never treated a friend like that. It was code. Sam wished more than anything that Mercedes was here in the flesh. He'd give anything to properly comfort her.

When she finished her tale, he listened to her sob softly. Other than her sniffling every now and then, there was silence yet again.

Mercedes spoke first. "I'm really sorry I ruined our conversation with this mess, Sam. And I'm sorry I hid that from you. I didn't mean to lie to you..."

"Hey, shhhh... I'm sorry for being such a dick at first. You didn't have to tell me any of that... although I'm glad you did. No one should have to keep pain like that all to themselves."

"It's funny how seeing him and hanging out with him can bring back up all those old memories. All the things I've tried so hard to forget about," Mercedes chuckled bitterly.

"Sometimes it works like that," Sam swallowed before he spoke his next few words. "Maybe you should tell him how you felt."

Mercedes sniffed. "Why should I? It's old news"

"So you can move on. He should know how much he hurt you..."

"I don't know Sam... We're getting back to a good place. I don't want to ruin it all over again..."

"He's a big boy Mercedes. He can handle it."

When she didn't answer, he spoke again. "Trust me"

"Okay. I'll tell him the next time I see him."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Okay."

"Thanks," she whispered.

"For what?"

"For listening. For being there for me. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Sam replied. And before he could stop himself he added. "I should be honest with you too. I was feeling a little jealous at first. When you didn't mention him, I mean."

"Why?"

"I thought something was going on between you two."

He heard the confusion in her voice when she responded, "Why would you think that?"

Sam racked his brain for a reason, but couldn't come up with anything. "I don't know. All I know is, I still love you Mercedes..."

Mercedes' breath hitched in her throat. She didn't need these feelings right now. She'd done enough crying for the night. "Sam, please don-"

"I really care about you," he replied cutting her off. "I just want to know that you are happy"

Mercedes' eyes welled up. She covered her mouth to conceal her sobs. _Oh god, not again_, she thought.

"Mercedes?"

"Yea..."

"Please say something"

"Sam, I still love you too. I still care about you. I do, but we can't do this right now. This is hard enough already."

"I know. And I don't want to make things harder. I just wanted you to know. Nothing has changed. I still feel the same way. I'm not asking anything of you. I just need you to know that. Okay?"

"Okay."

Sam could feel an awkward silence coming on so he decided to stop it. This was not how he wanted their conversation to end. "I'm running for senior class president! Well Blaine is... but I'm up for VP!"

Despite herself, Mercedes found herself chuckling at Sam's rashness.

Rambling.

Again.

He was nervous and she still found it cute.

"That's great Sam. Who are you two running against?"

"Brittany. And Artie. Britt wants to be a two term senior class president."

Mercedes snorted at that. "Well that's not something I've ever heard of happening before but power to her!"

"Hey! What about my campaign?"

Mercedes giggled. "I'm just messing with you, Sammy. We both know Britt did nothing last year. If she won again, and that's a big if, you and I both know Artie would be the one making the decisions."

Sam laughed. "Well, technically he already pretty much let that cat out of the bag. It's kind of how Britt got him to join her in the first place."

"Smart girl."

"I guess it was a pretty good strategy," Sam replied. "Do you think Blaine and I have a shot at winning?"

"I do. You'd have my vote Mr. Vice President."

Sam grinned widely and ran his hand through his hair. Was she flirting with him?

"Thanks. Blaine's also got his heart set on making me look the part."

"What's he talking about? You're a shoe-in. Blaine's got that whole dapper, charming thing about him but you've got swag, Sammy! Blaine's cute but you're sexy as hell!"

Oh she was_ definitely_ flirting with him.

Sam's mouth dropped open. He felt himself blush when she giggled over the phone.

"What, it's true!" _God_, he missed her.

"Thanks Mercedes. You're not so bad yourself."

Mercedes scoffed and he could practically see her rolling her eyes at him. "Boy, don't even!"

"It's true!" he laughed repeating her words.

He heard her kiss her teeth and he stifled a chuckle. She let out a yawn soon after.

"Tired?" he asked.

"Very."

"Me too. I guess I'll let you get your beauty rest," he whined playfully. "Not that you need it or anything..."

Mercedes giggled. "Thanks Sammy. I'll talk to you soon."

"Okay. Don't forget to talk to him!"

"I won't. Thanks again for listening."

"No problem."

"Goodnight, Sam."

"Goodnight, Mercedes."

Once the call ended, Sam placed his phone on the side table and reached over to turn off his lamp.

Sam was exhausted. He had a big day ahead of him what with the campaign underway and the debates coming up in a week. He was supposed to meet Blaine at the Lima Bean to discuss campaign strategies in the morning. He'd have to go to the YMCA after for swim practice, then Tina's house to prepare for the history test coming up on Monday. Then he had work in the evening. Sam knew he had a lot on his plate and he definitely felt it everyday, but he knew it was all going to be worth it in the end. Every day he worked hard brought him a step closer to his angel all the way on the West Coast.

* * *

**A/N:** How'd you guys feel about Mike/Mercedes being childhood BFFs? I thought it'd be cool to kind of come up with an explanation for the closeness we've seen with these two onscreen as of late. I had a lot of fun making up their back story, so I hope you enjoyed that bit. Until next time!

**Love It? Hate It? Review!**


	5. The Best Policy

**A/N:** Hi everyone and welcome new story followers! Thank you so much for reading this story! You do not understand how excited I am that people are showing interest in this story! I do hope I am keeping you entertained with my sexy words ; ) LOL. I hope you guys enjoy this update. It's a little shorter than usual and definitely shorter than the last update, but it's still necessary. I have a little bit of the next chapter written so the next update should be up relatively soon. As always, let me know what you think when you finish! Happy Reading!

* * *

**Sam's POV**

Early Saturday morning Sam was sitting in the Lima Bean sipping his hot chocolate order and doodling in his notebook. Blaine was running late. He was supposed to meet him at the Bean to talk "Blam!" campaign strategy fifteen minutes ago. Sam was starting to feel a little worried. Blaine was _never_ late. He was actually more likely to be _early_ than on time. Sam glanced at his watch again and sighed. Blaine was now twenty minutes late. He was starting to worry that the pompous hobbit had actually stood him up.

When Sam was all out of hot chocolate and patience, he rose from his seat shuffling his notebook into his bag. As he was about to exit the cafe, he noticed Blaine's Aston Martin Vanquish pulling up beside his truck. The bowtie wearing presidential candidate haphazardly threw his items into his brown leather satchel before locking his car and heading towards Sam.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Blaine exclaimed running up to him out of breath.

"Home," Sam replied frustrated. "I've been here for-" he glanced at his watch again, "...a half hour! I've got other stuff to do Blaine. Maybe we can do this some other time." Sam tried to step around the boy and head to his pickup truck.

Blaine stuck out his hand to stop him. "Look, I'm sorry I'm late. _Really_. Please don't leave."

Sam looked down at the boy and took in his remorseful expression. Sam took notice of the grip the boy had on his arm, his slightly disheveled locks of hair, crooked bowtie and the curl of a pout on his pink lips. Blaine was looking less put together than usual. Ultimately, it was his giant hazel eyes shining and working their dapper magic that won Sam over in the end. He gave a resigned sigh as he held the door open for Blaine and followed him in.

Taking their seats at the table Sam had just vacated, Blaine continued to shower Sam with apologies. Sam held up his hand after a moment of listening to his excuses. "Okay enough. I don't need your apologies. Just buy me another hot chocolate and we'll be square, cool?"

Blaine nodded and smiled slightly as he stood up. "Be right back."

When he returned a moment later, he'd brought two bags of desserts as well as his coffee order and Sam's hot chocolate. He handed Sam his drink before holding out one of the bags to Sam.

"This is for you too."

Sam accepted the bag and glanced inside. It was a butter croissant. His favorite. Sam smiled. "Thanks, man."

Blaine nodded as he opened his satchel and took out his laptop and some papers. "Okay let's get down to business. So I've designed a few posters on Photoshop for our campaign and I wanted to get your opinion on them."

Sam nodded and glanced over at the computer screen. Blaine flipped through the files in his "Presidential Campaign" folder giving Sam an excited look.

Sam nodded at each one. The information on the posters was lined up nicely and everything was very well organized, but Sam honestly thought that they were pretty boring. Each poster had all the necessary details as well as a few choice images such as the American flag and the infamous "We Want You!" slogan with Uncle Sam. Sam thought the posters were _okay_, but that they simply weren't creative enough. Not in Sam's opinion anyway.

"Blaine," Sam began, "These are good. But I think they're a little plain. They're kind of meh"

Blaine's elated expression fell and he frowned slightly. "What do you mean they're _meh_? These are perfect."

"Blaine, pretty much _every_ student body presidential campaign uses these images. They're generic and predictable," Sam pointed out.

"Well I spent all of last night getting these done," Blaine huffed. "Are you saying I should just _trash_ these?"

Sam shook his head. "No! Not at all... But I _do_ think we should make them a little more...creative."

Blaine crossed his arms across his chest. "What do you mean a little more _creative_?"

"I think our posters should say a little bit more about who _we_ are as candidates. It should have a little bit more personality."

Blaine scoffed. "A little bit more _personality_? Sam, I'm just going to stop you right there. I don't have much experience with politics, but I _do_ have more leadership experience than _you. _People want to know our _ideas_. They won't care about the posters."

Sam took a deep breath before replying. "Blaine, I'm just saying...Last year Brittany won by showing everyone who she was. Her posters did a great job of getting people interested. As random as they were, they represented who she was and people gravitated to that. Successful campaign posters catch people's eyes. _Trust me. _It's important. We'll need to draw attention. Brittany's popular and she's on a lot more people's radars than we are. No one will care about your glee club leadership experience. No one will give a shit that you can sing and dance! Nobody will listen if they don't _feel_ you! Feel _us_!"

Blaine scoffed again. "Right _feel_ me, like those desperate women _felt _you last year..."

Sam tried to contain his anger again by breathing deeply, but failed. He clenched his fist and slammed it on the table top, garnering several startled glances from the other patrons, but Sam ignored them, focusing his attention completely on Blaine.

"Look. Blaine. I'm about _this_ close to storming out of here, but I think you need to hear this. Your attitude sucks. You think you've got everything all figured out because you've had a little _experience_ as the head of Dalton's glee club, but guess what? This isn't Dalton and yea I don't have any "political experience" but I'm betting my sweet ass that being student body president won't be anything like that. So stop acting like you have all this knowledge when you clearly don't. Stop acting like you're better than me. Stop being such a jerk. You and I both know that without Kurt, you have no one here and this is probably some desperate ploy to finally make some friends but honestly, no one will want to be friends with such an arrogant asshole!"

Sam rose from his seat but not before muttering, "I can't believe I let Tina put me up to this..."

"Sam wait!" Blaine yelled, grabbing his arm. "I'm sorry. Don't go."

"Blaine, let go of me," Sam replied gruffly.

But Blaine held on. "No, you're right. You're completely right," he finished in a soft voice.

Sam turned around annoyed, but decided to hear him out.

"I've been a jerk, Sam and I'm sorry. I've just been under a lot of stress lately. I turn into a jerk when I'm stressed and I had _no_ right to take it out on you. Please stay and let me explain."

Sam stared at the boy for a moment before he sighed.

_Damn those puppy dog eyes_.

Blaine's expression brightened slightly when Sam reclaimed his seat and turned towards him. "I have been struggling with being apart from Kurt..." he admitted.

Sam nodded as he went on. This conversation was starting to sound very familiar.

"I'm happy he's in New York living his dream. It's what I've _always _wanted for him. But it's like a piece of me is missing. I still call him from time to time to catch up but it's hard. Especially lately. He's started an internship at and it's like I can't get a word in edge wise," Blaine chuckled bitterly.

"You're right. Everything I've been doing lately is to get my mind off of Kurt. I've joined maybe fifty clubs this week...I don't even know anymore! I've lost count, but I've been trying so hard to fill my life with other commitments and other people so that I can stop feeling this _emptiness_." Blaine placed a fist over his heart.

Sam opened his mouth to respond, but Blaine cut him off so he decided to just let him finish.

"I don't have a lot of friends here," Blaine replied softly. "Kurt was my main reason for moving to McKinley. And believe me, I don't regret it at all but what am I supposed to do when my reason for being here is _gone_?"

Sam nodded again. He knew exactly how Blaine was feeling. The more Blaine talked, the more he felt like they weren't so different after all. Sam's whole reason for coming back to McKinley had been for Mercedes. He'd pretended that it was to help New Directions out with Sectionals, but he always knew the truth. And now that she was gone, he pretty much felt the same way Blaine did.

_Empty._

Talking to her on the phone helped a little bit whenever he felt lonely, but it didn't change the distance that was between them. It was nothing like feeling her warmth as she snuggled up to him while they watched a movie on the couch. Nothing like laying his head on her chest and listening to her heart beat. Nothing like feeling her breath on his skin as she sucked on his jaw line and nibbled his ear and absolutely nothing like being pressed up against her, deep inside her, hearing her softly moan his name.

He _definitely_ understood where Blaine was coming from.

After a moment of being lost in his own thoughts, Sam finally tuned back into what Blaine was saying.

"...I'm really glad you're working with me Sam. Really I am. Please forgive me for acting all crazy earlier..." Blaine pouted as he finished his speech.

Sam smiled faintly at the dark haired boy. "I forgive you Blaine. And I'm sorry too. For lashing out at you. I don't regret letting you know how I feel though," Sam smirked playfully.

Blaine chuckled softly. "I don't either," he admitted, "I think I needed the reality check."

Sam nodded. "Well, if we're really going to work together, you'll have to let me redesign these posters."

"Are they really that bad?"

Sam raised his eyebrows and gave Blaine a look. "Yes, they are. I have a few ideas though and I might be able to fix them. I _am_ an art master in case you didn't know, "

"I didn't," Blaine replied, intrigued. "What are your ideas?"

"Well, I was thinking that we could still use the 'WE WANT YOU!' slogan, but how about photoshopping a picture of _my _head in there instead? Instead of Uncle Sam, it'll be Uncle _Sam,_" Sam gestured at himself.

Blaine's eyes popped open and he covered his open mouth with his hands in excitement. "Oh my GOD, that's a _brilliant _idea Sam!"

"I know, I know," Sam smirked.

"Why didn't _I_ think of that?"

"Maybe you're not as all knowing as you think you are," Sam pointed out slightly smugly.

Blaine laughed it off. "Okay, I deserved that. But seriously that's an incredible idea Sam."

"Thanks dude"

"Do you think you could come up with more clever ideas for our posters?"

"I'm sure I can"

"Excellent," Blaine replied, clapping his hands together.

The boys spent the rest of their time at the Bean working together, bouncing ideas off of one another for their campaign strategy and debate points. They talked test scores at McKinley, fundraising ideas, community service initiatives, school dance pitches, budget allocations and school lunch specials. They'd even decided on holding an assembly to get people pumped for their campaign, superhero style! They decided they'd have music and lots of great food, all sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Anderson. After a few minutes, they'd come to a collective decision on most topics and had more of a solid idea of where they were going with their platform. By the end of their meeting, Sam felt much more connected to the project and genuinely felt like he was beginning to like Blaine. Sam shook his head at the thought. Who knew he'd actually be excited to work with _Blaine_? He decided to call Tina and give her an update. The girl would definitely get a kick out of this news!

* * *

**Mercedes' POV**

Mercedes slipped her sneakers on and grabbed her workout bag from the floor before tiptoeing out of her dorm room. She made her way down the hall to the elevator and once she was downstairs, made a speedy exit out the building.

She was in a rush. Her bus would be at its stop any minute now and Mercedes could not afford to miss her ride! It was still dark out, just after 4:30am, and not a soul was on the streets.

It was a little chilly out and Mercedes could see her breath as she jogged to the stop. When she finally made it to the corner, she took a moment to catch her breath. She'd arrived at the bus stop, but there was no one in sight. She glanced at the time and panicked for a brief moment until she noticed the bus' bright headlights only a block away. She sighed in relief. She'd made it just in time!

Mercedes was on her way to the Pulse dance studio for some extra practice. Ms. Song usually ran her classes around 10am, so she'd have plenty of time to practice when she arrived at the studio. It was only a thirty-minute ride away. Mercedes smiled and said "Good morning" to the driver as she boarded the bus. She quickly flashed her bus pass at him, and then took her seat a few rows from the front. She covered her mouth as she let out a silent yawn and stretched her tired limbs.

She was exhausted! She'd barely slept the night before. After she got off the phone with Sam, she'd sat up in bed debating whether or not she'd take his advice.

On the one hand, Sam was right. She needed to talk to Mike. She'd been dealing with the pain of the outcome of their friendship for a long time. She'd just never really brought the memory back to the forefront of her mind for fear of going back to that place again. Middle school had been a long time ago and she had no desire to experience the feelings of loneliness that were so familiar to that time period ever again. She'd worked way too hard to move on. To accept the fact that Mike did not choose her. He'd moved on, so she was determined to do the same.

Eventually, she found herself in a better place mentally and emotionally and the pain of it all did not sting as much as it once had. Sure seeing him in school and later as a member of New Directions had opened some old wounds, but they'd closed back up eventually. Mike had even reached out to her, not discussing their past of course, but through small talk and little kind gestures. It had taken some getting used to, but eventually she could be around him without experiencing that awful feeling in the pit of her stomach. She could say "Hi" and smile and _mean _it. She could be his occasional dance partner in a number and not feel like fleeing. She could even hold a conversation with him without reminding herself of what had happened. Mercedes had to admit to herself that that was _progress_. Soon enough, Mercedes had convinced herself that she'd finally let go of everything. That she really was over it.

But Sam knew better.

It was the little things that reminded her that her Mike-related hurt was not over by a long shot. The pain was still there whenever she came across _Footloose_ or _The Little Rascals _on television or watched the little kids she babysat play a round of Super Mario Bros. Mercedes even felt it when she ate strawberry shortcake ice cream, her usual when they went out for desserts back in the day. All of the things she used to do with Mike brought hurtful memories back of cancelled dates and abandonment. She'd stopped doing much of those things eventually to focus her energy elsewhere.

A part of her wanted to forget about everything that had happened in the past, but the other part of her knew that wasn't going to be easy. She wasn't over what had transpired. Not even close. As much as she wished she could avoid bringing back up the past, she knew it was necessary if she ever wanted to truly forgive him and move on. Mercedes decided she couldn't let her fear of messing things up again stop her from saying what she needed to say. She _wouldn't_. She'd promised Sam after all.

She smiled to herself when she thought about how well Sam knew her and shook her head at herself when she thought of what she'd tried to conceal from him. _Of course_ he would know something was wrong! Sam had always been very observant and perceptive. He always paid such close attention to detail, especially when it came to anything involving people he cared about. It was surely the mark of an artist and lie to him she could not. Sam could always read her so well!

In the end, she'd mustered up the confidence necessary to call Mike up and ask him to meet her. She'd promised Sam and she knew for a fact that the next time she spoke to him that he'd ask about it.

Mercedes had to admit to herself that she was feeling a bit nervous about this meeting. She'd called Mike up with every intention of asking him to meet her for coffee to finally discuss her feelings about their past, but at the very last minute, she'd flaked and asked him to meet her at Pulse studios for extra lessons instead. Mike had happily agreed.

Mercedes wasn't sure if she actually needed his help because according to her dance instructor, she'd been improving steadily and rapidly. She'd even received a compliment from her boss Angelique who_ never_ wasted a kind word on anyone! Mercedes knew that she was definitely not as bad as she used to be and she was very proud of that, but she asked Mike for his help any way. If for any reason she flaked again, the extra dance help wouldn't hurt her.

Although she was nervous, Mercedes had to also admit to herself that she was excited to spend some more time with Mike. The other day at Chipotle's had been nice. It gave her a taste of old times and though it was slightly awkward for her at first, they'd settled into a comfortable rhythm after some time.

_Maybe this time would be similar?_

The bus pulled up a little way from the studio and Mercedes began her short walk to Pulse. When she turned the corner, she spotted Mike leaning against the building fiddling with his iPod. She took a big breath as she approached her friend, adjusting her posture and walking confidently towards him. She was going to do this. She was not going to chicken out.

Mike looked up before she reached him and a small smile graced his lips. He raised a hand and greeted her with a small wave. Mercedes smiled and returned the gesture. When she caught up with him, he had his arms outstretched and pulled her in for a tight squeeze. Mercedes closed her eyes as she held him, feeling her heart rate calm. She had nothing to be nervous about. This was _Mike_. She used to be able to talk to him about anything. She could do this.

Upon release, she smiled up at him.

"Have you been waiting for a while?"

Mike shook his head. "Only about ten minutes." He pointed in the direction of his parked car. "I was in my car for most of the time."

"Okay good," Mercedes nodded.

"How'd you get here?" Mike asked.

"Bus."

Mike frowned slightly. "You know I would've given you a ride over if you'd asked..."

"I know," Mercedes replied. "Truth is, I really like taking the bus. The ride gives me time to think."

Mike nodded, seemingly understanding. "Well if you ever change your mind about that, I have no problem giving you a ride over."

Mercedes smiled up at the boy and nodded. "Thanks Mike."

Mercedes reached into her pocket and pulled out the spare key she'd received from Jacki. Unlocking the door, she held it open for Mike before leading him to the elevator. When they reached their floor, Mercedes opened up the suite and flicked on the lights.

The studio was spotless and smelt of freshly polished wood. The wall-to-wall mirrors gleamed and revealed a 360-degree view of the pair. Walking to the corner of the room, Mercedes dropped her bag down then moved to the center of the floor to begin her stretches. Mike repeated her actions, before joining her in the middle of the room.

They worked on their upper bodies first, stretching their arms and shoulders. They moved onto their lower body and did some secretaries as well as a series of squats and lunges. Mercedes giggled as Mike made light of every move. He'd broken the initial awkward silence by telling her some stories about his dance classes. Mercedes laughed so hard she snorted when he told her about the time his ballet instructor held his muscles together so tightly he farted. She gripped her sides as she collapsed into a fit of laughter as Mike retold the story complete with gestures, sound effects and animated facial expressions. Her laughter was so contagious Mike ended up laughing so hard tears filled his eyes.

When they finally calmed down, they helped each other stretch their remaining tense muscles. Once their limbs were prepared to work, Mike turned towards Mercedes, sitting cross-legged on the floor. He clapped his hands together with a huge grin on his face, "Ready to show me what you've got?"

Mercedes smirked at her friend as she cha-cha-ed over to her bag, "Let's dance!"

Mercedes grabbed her iPod from her bag then made her way over to the sound system. She found the playlist she was looking for and set the iPod in the doc. When the familiar music began to play, she ran the routine she'd come to know so well over the last couple of weeks. When she was finished, Mike let out a low whistle and gave her a slow clap. "Wow! That was awesome Mercedes!"

She beamed and bowed slightly as she thanked him.

"I guess my only critique would be to point your toes a little more when you lift off the ground and to relax your arms when you bring them down."

Mercedes nodded.

"But other than that," Mike continued, "I don't think there's much else that you need help with. You seem pretty set Mercedes! But we can always run the routine once more to make sure that you get the little details down as well."

Mercedes nodded again, feeling slightly ashamed of herself, her ruse was pretty much up. She could see that on Mike's face. She knew he'd never prod her for an answer so finally she took a deep breath and said what she'd been meaning to say the entire time.

"Actually Mike," she began, "I meant to talk to you about something else..."

Mike straightened up and looked up at her, his expression growing serious. "What's wrong?" he asked, his face full of concern.

"Nothing really. I just needed to talk. About us"

"Okay, shoot," Mike responded. "What about us?"

"Our friendship. I wasn't completely honest with you the other day..."

She watched as her friend frowned slightly.

"I know it's really old news, but I think it's worth talking about because it's been something that's been on my mind for so long..."

"What has?" Mike asked rising to his feet.

Stepping back slightly she finally admitted. "I've been thinking about you and me and how we used to be in the past. We were really close Mike! And I've, I miss you Mike."

"I've missed you too Mercedes."

"I know I said it was okay the other day. But I lied. There's still some part of me that holds onto what happened back then."

"Mercedes..." Mike began stepping closer to her.

Mercedes held up a hand, "No. Let me finish..."

Mike stood back and nodded.

"I've tried to convince myself that none of it mattered. And for a while I managed to fool myself into believing that, but being with you the other day, it just brought _everything_ back! I don't hold anything against you, I swear! It's just, even though it was so long ago, sometimes I still go back to that place and it feels like it happened just yesterday..." she finished in a small voice.

She was staring into space, at nothing in particular, frowning slightly at the memory.

Mike cautiously moved closer to Mercedes and pulled her into his arms. She hesitated for a moment before she held him back.

"I'm happy you told me, Mercedes"

She nodded into his chest. Because of her tears, it was simply easier to do.

"I can't take back what I did," Mike continued, stroking her hair, "but I can spend every day from now on making up for it"

"I don't need you to do that Mike," Mercedes replied, stepping out of his embrace to get a good look at him.

"But I _want_ to. I've never really forgiven myself for that day," he admitted, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"But _I've_ forgiven you. I just needed to get that off of my chest. I want us to move forward, Mike. I still want to be friends."

"I want the same thing," he assured her. "I know I can't change the past, but I definitely want to make up for lost time. Maybe not right away, but can we please go back to being besties?"

Mercedes nodded and smiled warmly up at him. "I'd really like that, Mike."

* * *

**LOVE IT? HATE IT? REVIEW!**

* * *

**A/N:** Next up, election aftermath, Sancedes phone call 2.0, Finn returns to Lima and Artie asks 'Cedes for a favor. Until next time lovelies!


	6. With A Little Help From My Friends

**A/N:** Okay, so this didn't get posted as early as I wanted it to and for that I apologize. But here it is! Let me know what you think when you've finished! Happy Reading!

* * *

**Sam's POV**

They'd won the election.

The debate had been a gamble with both sides equally failing to truly impress their classmates. Artie gave a long speech about policy that put much of the audience to sleep, while Blaine gave some melodramatic talk about how banning hair gel was the first step towards tyranny and burning books and people.

Before they went onstage, Sam sensed that Blaine was nervous and somehow that calmed him down slightly. Backstage his running mate had been putting on a front again, trying hard to appear calm, but Sam saw right through it. He saw his frustration as Blaine applied more gel to his hair attempting to style it to perfection. When his hands shook as he tried to put on his signature accessory, Sam took action, approaching him from behind and calmly told him that it would make him appear uptight. He was pleased when Blaine took his advice and tossed the bowtie aside and he made a mental note to appear confident so that Blaine would regain some of his poise.

But in truth, Sam was nervous as well.

Going against Artie was going to be a challenge. It was no secret that the wheelchair bound boy was super smart and had much more political prowess than he did. Artie Abrams was clearly the right man for the job. Sam, initially being asked several questions he hadn't known how to respond to, simply agreed with whatever Artie said, much to Blaine's chagrin. But eventually when a question came in from Twitter asking him about his time as a stripper last year, as he and Blaine had anticipated, he decided to let loose and have some fun. He cued the AV kids to play his White Chocolate theme "Party Rock Anthem" and ripped his shirt off in front of everybody, twirling it around in the air.

The crowd lost it!

He glanced offstage and saw Blaine freaking out. The action went against everything Blaine had advised him on, but Sam didn't care. He wasn't proud of his stripper past, but it was a part of his life and he damn sure wasn't going to let people with narrow minds stop him from bringing a little excitement to the dull event.

It had been a very close race, but in the end due to a long, pretentious speech by one Brittany S. Pierce about loving McKinley so much she'd endorse cancelling summer vacation and weekends to hold school forever, the choice was obvious.

Mercedes had been the first person Sam called when they heard the news. She was thrilled for them! "I knew you had it in you Sammy!" she'd gushed. "I'm so proud of you!"

Sam was proud of himself too. He honestly had doubted for a moment that they could steal the election. Artie was basically a genius and Brittany was pretty popular. Also, even though she did pretty much nothing last year, she _did_ have presidential experience. Sam had been nervous because he knew nothing about politics and Blaine, though charming, wasn't everyone's favorite person nor was he very popular, but somehow they'd done it!

He high fived Blaine in home room before he ran up to Tina and pulled her into a tight hug, lifting her off the ground. "Thank you so much for making me do this," he whispered in her ear when he put her back down. She'd simply squeezed him back and reassured him, "It was all you bud!"

Sam called his family right after and they were also very excited for him. His mother cried tears of joy. His father congratulated him and told him that he was proud but his favorite response definitely came from his siblings. Stevie and Stacy fought over the phone to speak to him, screaming at each other about who should get a chance to speak to him first. Finally, his parents put the phone on speaker and had them both talk to him at the same time. Of course, that didn't stop them from interrupting each other, but Sam didn't mind at all. He'd missed them so much!

Stevie warned him not to grow power hungry while Stacy asked him if that meant he'd meet President Obama, the _real_ president. Much to Stacy's disappointment, he informed her that it didn't, but when he told her he got to have a presidential party, it cheered her up. Sam's eyes welled up when she shyly told him how much she missed him and asked if he didn't love her anymore. He quickly assured her that that was far from the truth but couldn't help feeling guilty because he hadn't been home in a while. He made a promise to her that he'd drive up next weekend to see them all and that got his entire family to cheer!

Sam was updated on everything that was going on in his family's lives, like his father's promotion, his sister being cast in the school play and his brother joining the basketball team. His mother told him that she was writing her books again and that she would be done in a few months. He told them all how proud he was of them as well and exchanged several "I love you's" before reluctantly getting off the phone.

Knowing that all of his loved ones were so proud and happy for him made him smile.

The prospect of being vice president was intimidating at first, but when Sam learned what his job actually entailed, he became much more confident about his ability to do good work. Though they had their differences, he found that he was able to work really well with Blaine, who had several great ideas. Blaine was the thinker and he was the doer. They came up with many initiatives such as a food and clothing drive for Thanksgiving as well as repainting the old wall at the city community center.

The more time he spent with Blaine, the more he realized that the pretty rich boy was actually not that bad. They'd learned many things about each other through spending time together. For instance, Blaine was actually not afraid to get his hands dirty and was no stranger to community service. Turned out that in Westerville, he'd been a regular at the local soup kitchen and had a lot of fundraising experience. He'd even helped his mother plan and run many charity events in the past. Sam could appreciate that especially when his family had been forced to rely on many public services sophomore year. It was something he really cared about from the bottom of his heart, so he was extremely happy to throw his energy into a task that would help others. Sam discovered that the less the job was about policy and the more it was about service, he felt more confident in his ability to do it right.

The boys celebrated their presidential victory at Breadstix. There was much fanfare and merriment and for the first time that year, Sam felt excited and genuinely happy to be a part of something with his peers.

But all wasn't well.

Apparently there was even more trouble in paradise for Blaine and Kurt and that fact had been clear as day on his new friend's face. They hadn't even left the restaurant before Blaine was killing his party buzz. It was kind of difficult to celebrate when your presidential partner was feeling blue. Referencing their earlier talk, he told Blaine what he and Tina often told each other: last year was about the seniors, but this was _their_ year. Even though Blaine was feeling like their victory didn't matter, he reminded him that what they'd accomplished was very important. Blaine was McKinley's first gay male president. He made sure that Blaine understood how crucial it was for an intolerant school like McKinley to have that kind of representation and most importantly to show that a straight guy and a gay guy could work side by side and make a difference, one step at a time. He'd even made a reference to X-men and he was delighted to find that Blaine was also a fan of the franchise. Like Wolverine and Cyclops, who both had their differences, Sam pointed out that their ability to work together as a team was what counted the most in the end. But Sam made sure he understood that he, not Blaine, was Wolverine. Blaine seemed to take his word for it and enjoyed the rest of the party with him.

Blaine eventually left for New York to see Kurt in the flesh. The separation had proven to be too much for him. While Sam had been happy for his friend, he couldn't deny the fact that sometimes he resented how rich Blaine was. He would give anything to be able to fly out to see Mercedes whenever he missed her too much.

When he returned, things seemed off however. Sam didn't really think it was his place to ask the boy, so he decided to wait. Knowing Blaine, he'd probably tell him eventually anyway.

Blaine wasn't the only person to fly in from New York. He'd found out that Finn was also making his return to Lima when he saw Carole prepping his room one morning.

It was cool seeing his old friend again. Though they had their history with Quinn and her cheating, they'd eventually become friends again. Finn was a pretty cool dude when he respected people's boundaries. Living with the Hudson-Hummels had brought the boys even closer and now Finn truly felt like the older brother he never had.

One night, Sam had a chat with him one on one about what really happened in the army and in New York and found out all about Rachel and Brody and Blaine and Eli. Sam wasn't sure how he felt about all of that news. He could never see himself falling for someone else out of the blue or cheating on Mercedes, but he figured different people responded to separation in different ways.

It was obvious to Sam that Finn was still struggling with his breakup with Rachel and he could sympathize with his feelings about having no direction and being afraid of what the future may hold. He felt the same way when his parents lost their jobs almost two years ago. But if he'd learned anything during that time, it was that he should always have faith. Mercedes had taught him that. Wallowing in self-pity had never been something Sam liked to do, but there were some days where he felt completely surrounded by darkness. But through it all Mercedes had been his ray of sunshine. She made him feel like he didn't always have to carry the burden of poverty and her presence in his life helped keep things light for him when his circumstances made him feel hopeless.

That's why when Finn told him that the real world was nothing like high school, he didn't fret. He'd had his taste of the "real world" much earlier than Finn and he'd already been separated from Mercedes for sometime before. He'd never really thought about it, but in that moment he realized that because of his experience, he was seasoned. He was prepared for anything the future held because even though he didn't know what would come of it, one thing was for sure. He loved Mercedes and she loved him and the distance between them would only be temporary.

Finn had made a connection between the relationship he shared with Rachel and the one Sam did with Mercedes and warned him to find his dream before it was too late. Being with a diva with big dreams would be a challenge for someone whose dreams weren't as ambitious. Sam had listened to his words at the time nodding at all the right places and considering his words. He knew that Finn's heart was in the right place and that he didn't mean to scare Sam in anyway, but he also realized that that had been _Finn's_ experience. So while he took the time to hear him out, he knew in his heart that Mercedes was not Rachel. Mercedes was the most selfless person he'd ever met and he couldn't say the same about Rachel. He knew she loved Finn very much, but she loved her dream more and with the two of them it was always going to be about finding a way to make Finn fit into _her_ dream. Rachel knew Finn wasn't a very good actor nor was he cut out for NYADA, but she still wanted him to try for her so that he could be a part of her dream. Mercedes and Sam had had several conversations about the future and where they wanted to end up, but never once had she ever tried to mold him into something that he was not. She always asked him what he wanted. He told her he wanted to do something with art and maybe try singing country music in a band and she smiled and told him she could see him doing that _and_ being successful. She supported him and his dreams, as he did hers.

It was always about _their_ dreams and that was the difference.

Thinking back now, he realized that unlike Finn, he didn't regret letting her go. Los Angeles was exactly where she needed to be to follow her dreams. Even though it felt like they were worlds apart right now, he realized that it was only temporary. No matter what, Mercedes was his heart. And even if he couldn't see her everyday, his heart would still be linked to hers. Rachel and Finn and Kurt and Blaine had fallen apart because they couldn't communicate and they let someone else get in the way. For Sam, there was no other person. He only had eyes for Mercedes. No matter what he did and no matter where he went, she would _always_ be the one. They would endure this distance and separation because he knew that they'd be reunited someday because Sam believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that Mercedes _was_ his future.

**Mercedes' POV**

Mercedes grabbed her purse out of her work locker. It was just after 6PM and she'd just finished a shift at Lana's, her part-time retail job. She'd been there since 12PM and after six hours of being on her feet and dealing with rude customers, she was more than ready to bounce on out of there. She clocked out and exited the store to board the bus that would take her back to campus.

Although she was exhausted, she was also really excited! Tonight happened to be one of those rare occasions when she actually had plans outside of her tight schedule. Mercedes and Mike ran into Puck again the other day after dance practice and he had invited them both to one of his gigs at a local cafe. Mike had promised to swing by her dorm around 8PM and give her a ride to the venue. Puck went on at 9PM.

Mercedes arrived on campus about twenty minutes later and she figured that once she got to her room, she'd take a quick catnap before getting ready for tonight's show.

She walked up the pathway toward her dorm room admiring the open landscape of her school. Since she was often running off somewhere, Mercedes hardly ever had time to take in her surroundings. There were, however, some rare opportunities for her to do just that every now and then.

There were a group of guys in bright t-shirts and board shorts playing a round of disk hockey, a few girls sitting on the benches reading and gossiping and a few other mixed groups lounging around the quad. The sun was still out and it cast a beautiful red orange glow in the sky. Los Angeles truly was beautiful this time of year.

Completely engulfed in her appreciation for the world around her, Mercedes didn't even notice her roommate waving at her from a distance.

"Mercedes!" Hanna yelled, finally catching her attention.

Mercedes' head snapped in the direction of the voice and her face broke out into a wide grin. "Hey girl!" she called as they walked toward each other. "I didn't even see you there!"

"Trust me, I noticed!" Hanna giggled lightheartedly as she finally caught up with her.

Mercedes chuckled in return and pulled her into a hug.

In the past, the pair had had very few opportunities to truly bond, but lately, they'd gotten the chance to get to know each other better and the limited time they'd spent together had been very valuable to the growth of their relationship.

Over the last couple of weeks, Mercedes had learned that Hanna was also a small town girl. From Rosewood, Pennsylvania to be exact. The small East Coast city, though similar in some ways, was definitely different from Lima. Mercedes had been informed that it was much more suburban and upscale than her own hometown.

Though she initially had formed a certain opinion about the girl, Mercedes soon discovered that she'd been wrong. Hanna wasn't the typical rich, blond, college party girl looking for a "Mrs. Degree". She'd actually been through a lot of terrifying things in her youth, including the murder of her childhood best friend and several other people she'd known for a long time, all the while being stalked and harassed by a mysterious psychopath that went by the moniker "A". Hell, Mercedes probably would have been a frequent partygoer herself if she'd been a victim of all of that nonsense! After all that misery, she figured the girl deserved something to take her mind off of all of that.

The two girls had definitely gotten a chance to get to know each other better once Hanna slowed down her partying in favor of doing better in her classes. Once the blonde was no longer sneaking in around the most ungodly of hours, they actually had a chance to get better acquainted.

Mercedes had even met Hanna's boyfriend, Caleb Rivers, who attended a nearby college. She adored Caleb and thought that the pair complimented each other really well, but she couldn't fight the envy she felt as she watched the lovely couple walk hand in hand to Caleb's car after one visit. Mercedes knew she didn't need a man to make her complete, but it was little things like that that made her long for what she had back home.

"How's that calc class going?" Mercedes asked her roommate with a bright smile. Hanna was a business major, studying to become an entrepreneur. She watched amused as the bubbly blonde rolled her eyes skyward.

"I'm dying a slow death 'Cedes! Save me PLEASE!"

Mercedes pouted and rubbed Hanna's shoulder. She knew just how tough the introductory course requirements were for Hanna. Being a math wiz herself, Mercedes has offered to go over some problems with her in her free time.

"Awww...hang in there girl! When's your first exam?"

"Two weeks from now..."

"Yikes! That's really soon! Well, we'll go over some basic concepts tomorrow night okay? I'll be free then!"

"I swear you're an angel!"

Mercedes shook her head.

"I can see your halo!" Hanna sang slightly out of tune as Mercedes cringed internally. "Okay yea, I'm never doing that again..." Hanna laughed.

"Leave the singing to me girl!" Mercedes smiled.

"Okay, Beyonce!" Hanna replied with a huge grin on her face.

"That's right!" Mercedes giggled. "Hey! Don't wait up for me tonight. I'm going out with a couple of old friends later!"

"Awww! That sounds like fun!"

Mercedes started to nod in agreement when she suddenly felt her phone vibrate in her purse. She pulled it out and glanced at the screen.

_'Tana._

Mercedes frowned slightly when she saw that Santana had called her several times. Scrolling through her call log, she realized that she actually had quite a few missed calls in her phone. Seven to be exact. 'Tana's name was there four times, Artie's twice and one from Puck.

"I'm sorry girl! It looks like a friend of mine has been trying to get in contact with me for a while. I'm gonna try to reach her now. Talk later?"

"Okay! I'll catch you later! Have fun!"

"I will!" Mercedes mouthed as she re-dialed Santana.

The phone rang twice before Santana finally picked up.

"Hey hot stuff! What's up?" Mercedes asked enthusiastically. She hadn't had a conversation with her favorite Latina in over two weeks and she was more than ready to catch up.

However, when she heard sniffling on the other line, her face fell.

"Santana? Are you okay girl?"

"No..." Came a hoarse whisper before her feisty best friend burst into tears.

"'Tana what's wrong?" Mercedes asked anxiously as she made her way into the elevator leading to her dorm room.

Santana never cried. The few times she had it'd been when she gotten too drunk to do anything else or when something really serious had happened. Mercedes prayed it was the former.

She listened as Santana tried with much difficulty to explain her emotions. As she unlocked the door to her room, Mercedes finally interrupted her friend. "Slow down babe, you went home for the weekend and what happened?"

She heard her friend take a deep breath as she tried to calm herself down.

"I said I went home this weekend to spend some time with Britt and everything was good! Sooo good! I missed her so much! But then we went to this weird club meeting led by this bitchy granny faced Cheerio... I thought it was all really lame, but Britt was really into it and I wanted to do it for her, you know? But then the bitch decided to do a fake rapture and freaked out Tina's assistant Dottie...

"Wait, hold up...Tina has an assistant?"

"Yea I know, I thought that was really weird when Britt first told me too. But anyway, bitchy grandma thought it's be cool to mess with Dottie and make her think the rapture had happened while she was in the bathroom and that she'd been left behind. After that, I was totally over the meeting and I really wanted to bounce, but then Brittany started yelling at me and said that with me being away at school, she felt left behind too and that it sucked and I could see how much it hurt her and I just felt so terrible because it was all my fault!" After that, Santana burst into tears all over again.

"San...?" Mercedes whispered softly.

"Yea...?" Santana sniffled.

"It's not your fault. Britt knows you can't help that you're in college. Figuring out how to balance your time is all a part of the "college experience"... And with a long distance relationship, dealing with the time apart is also a challenge. So you can't blame yourself for that...I won't let you."

Santana didn't say a word in response, but Mercedes could tell that she was listening, processing everything she'd just said to her.

So Mercedes continued. Still speaking softly, she asked her the Latina, "Did you guys work it out afterwards?"

There was a brief pause, but then Mercedes heard her friend admit to what she'd already figured had happened. "No... We...we decided to take a break..."

"Oh! Santana..."

"Saying goodbye to her was the hardest thing I've ever had to do Mercedes..." Santana whispered, choking up again. "I just really needed someone to talk to and you were the only one I thought would understand."

And she did. Taking a break in her own relationship had been extremely tough on Mercedes. So much so that she filled her days with so much activity that she simply _couldn't_ sit and dwell on her pain. It helped that she had just moved to Los Angeles right after her own relationship break happened because she was able to distract herself with all the new sights and sounds around her. Keeping busy quickly became her defense mechanism. She found that if she had her mind on other things, it was much easier for her to get through each and every day. Even though she struggled daily to pretend like she wasn't about to fall apart, somehow she'd managed to get through that tough time. It had definitely been easier for her to come to terms with her emotions once she was finally honest with Santana at the beginning of the year, but now it was obvious that the tables had turned.

Now Santana needed her. Santana had been there for her in the past and she knew she had to return the favor.

"'Tana?"

"Yea...?" She squeaked softly.

"I just need to make a quick call and I'll call you right back okay?"

"'Kay..."

When they hung up, Mercedes quickly dialed Mike's number. The time she needed to be ready by was quickly approaching and she realized that she was more needed right here, right now. Once she got off the phone with Mike, she rang Puck to let him know that she wasn't going to be able to make it after all. Puck was understanding, but let her know that he was going to miss his favorite 'Chocolate Mama". Mercedes had rolled her eyes at that, but promised to make it up to him and be there for his next gig. After getting off the phone with Puck, Mercedes changed out of her work clothes and grabbed a drink before she redialed Santana.

The girls ended up talking on Skype because Santana really needed to see her and feel close to somebody. Mercedes let her vent and teared up at several points as her bestie shared her feelings on her break up.

"I even sang her a song by Taylor Swift! And you _know_ I hate that bitch!" Santana wailed.

"Oh! 'Tana!" Mercedes cooed.

When Santana was finished with her story, her eyes were bloodshot and her voice was tired and raspier than usual.

"Thank you for listening to me ramble on and on about my dating woes..."

"Girl please, I'm just happy to return the favor!"

"You didn't have plans or anything tonight did you?"

"I did," Mercedes admitted. "But being here for you was more important," she reassured her.

Santana started tearing up again. "I'm sorry I ruined your night with my mess.."

"Girl stop! It's not a big deal. I can hang out with Mike and see Puck in concert any other time. You're my girl and you needed me. Your problems are my problems, therefore your mess is my mess, right?" Mercedes winked at her friend, managing to get the first true smile from her during their entire conversation.

"Right," Santana responded teary eyed with an even wider smile. "But seriously, thanks. You don't know how much this means to me. I miss youuu!"

"Miss you too, hun!"

The girls chatted for the next hour and a half about love and loss as well as some lighter topics like how they were doing in their classes and their Halloween plans. They even watched some funny YouTube videos and trash TV while eating dinner. All the things they used to do back in Lima when Santana would come over to Mercedes' or vice versa. By the end of the call, Santana was feeling much better.

Because she'd been crying for some time, she let Mercedes know that she was beginning to feel tired but Santana did not hang up without whispering another soft "Thank you" to Mercedes. They exchanged goodbyes and soon, Mercedes was right back where she started, with heavy eyelids and a dire need for a nap.

Mercedes was about to head to the bathroom to get ready for bed when she realized that she hadn't returned Artie's calls. Checking the time, she realized that it was probably too late to call him back what with the time difference and everything, so she left him a quick text asking what was up before she grabbed her toiletries and headed to the bathroom. When she returned to her room, she checked her phone to see if he'd responded. When she saw that he hadn't, she set the device on her desk, tied her head and said her prayers before she laid her head down to sleep.

In the morning, Mercedes rose from bed feeling fully refreshed. She rubbed her eyes and peered at the other side of the room chuckling when she saw Hanna sprawled out on her bed, sleeping with her wide mouth open. She went to grab the necessary items to begin her morning routine when she heard her phone buzz. Unlocking her phone, she found a voicemail alert message from Artie. She dialed the number and waited patiently as the message menu stated its commands. After pressing the necessary buttons, she placed the phone to her ear and couldn't stop herself from laughing out loud as Artie's voice came through the phone:

"_Mercedes Boo thang Jones. Diva of divas. My boo forever! Ya boy needs a favor... Hit me back when you get this!"_

Shaking her head, she hit redial. Artie answered after the first ring.

"Mercedes! Hey boo!"

Mercedes rolled her eyes, but found herself grinning hard. "Hey Artie! What's up?"

"Not a _thang_ girl! You know nothing ever happens in Lima..."

"True..." Mercedes replied.

"Yea...look, I hate to come out of nowhere asking for favors, but I was wondering if you were planning on heading back home sometime soon..."

"Yea, I was actually thinking about coming back for fall break. Why, what's up?"

"Well, Finn and I are co-directing this year's musical together..."

"Oh yea, Sam told me he's back. I heard about the Rachel thing too...How's he holding up?"

"Not too well... Actually pretty horribly if I'm being honest. You know how he gets..."

"Yea, I know..."

"But anyway, I thought asking him to work with me might help him get back some of his mojo, but he's still not comfortable with the job. I was thinking we could use some extra help with the musical and when it comes to vocal coaches, I can't think of anyone better for the job."

"Right..." Mercedes rolled her eyes. "You sure Rachel wouldn't have been your first call if the circumstances had been different?"

"Nope! Never! You've always been my favorite!"

"That's not how it played out during West Side Story," Mercedes muttered.

"Okay, yea you're right. I'm really _really _sorry about that. I don't know what was up with me last year. I was a mess! But really, you're my favorite. Rachel's really good at what she does, but you're great! The greatest."

"Mhmmm..."

"_Really_!"

Mercedes rolled her eyes again but decided to shake it off. What was in the past was in the past. "Thanks Artie."

"Oh, you are welcome!" he responded "...so does that mean you'll do it? Pleeeeeease?"

"Hmmmmm..." Mercedes paused for some drama before she exclaimed, "Okay! I'll do it!"

"Really?!"

"Yes!"

"Ahhh! Oh my god, I love you!" Artie blew kisses at Mercedes through the phone.

Mercedes started cracking up. "See you when I get back Artie!"

"Alright boo!"

Mercedes hung up the phone with a bright smile on her face. She was always happy to help out a friend in need, but that definitely wasn't the only reason why she was smiling. In less than a week, she was going to be back in Lima. Closer to her Sammy.

* * *

**Love it? Hate it? REVIEW!**

**A/N:** As a side note I guess, I actually meant to make this a crossover fic in the beginning with PLL as it is one of my other favorite fandom's, but decided not to in the end. However, you may or may not see some other liars make their appearance in LA eventually. Who knows.

But…Yayyy! Mercedes is heading home soon! My body is ready for some Samcedes reunion! Isn't yours? Until next time ;)


	7. Home Is Where The Heart Is

**A/N:** So I'm back and you're in for a treat guys ;) I do not own Glee, but some of the dialogue in this chapter is from Glee's episode "The Role You Were Born To Play". Happy Reading!

**Mercedes' POV**

Tossing a comfortable pair of leggings and two more print dresses into her duffle bag, Mercedes finally zipped it up. The week had flown by and it was finally fall break. She was so excited to be heading back home! She couldn't wait to see her parents and have some of that good ol' home cooking. She also couldn't wait to see her friends Tina, Artie, Blaine, Finn and Brittany and her babies Sugar and Unique. And she was just _dying _to see Sam again.

Now that she was finished packing, she just had to wait for Puck to pick her up. He volunteered to drive her and Mike to the airport. It turned out that Artie had called in Mike for a favor as well; the New Directions needed a dance coach as well as a vocal coach. The news that she would be going back home with her old best friend excited her. Although they'd had their issues in the past, they were finally able to move forward.

At noon, Puck arrived and helped Mercedes load her baggage into his trunk before he climbed in beside her and took off. Once they arrived at LAX, Puck helped them unload their stuff before he took off. After Mercedes and Mike moved through the lines, checked in and moved to their gate, they boarded their 1:30 flight right on time. Soon after, the pair was Ohio bound!

Seven hours and one layover later, they arrived at James M. Cox Dayton International Airport in Dayton, Ohio. Mike saw her mother first, and took Mercedes' baggage before she ran into her mother's arms. Mercedes closed her eyes and tightly held her mother, breathing in the familiar perfume. Mercedes called home every day since she moved out to Los Angeles, but she still missed her mother dearly. When Diane Jones released her, she kissed her on the cheek and said, "Welcome home, sweetheart." Mercedes then looked around for Mike, and saw that he was engulfed in a hearty mother-child embrace as well. Julia Chang waved at Mercedes when she caught her eye. Diane and Mercedes moved closer to the other pair and switched hugging partners.

"It's good to see you Mike," Diane smiled at the tall boy.

"It's good to see you too Ms. Diane," he replied.

"Mercedes, you look wonderful," Mrs. Chang gushed.

"So do you Mrs. C," Mercedes beamed.

After pulling everyone into a firm group hug, Diane led them all out to the parking lot. They loaded the baggage into the car and boarded the car soon after. They had a long drive home.

XXXX

It was late when they finally arrived in Lima, but both their mothers insisted on stopping at the town diner for a late dinner. Mike and Mercedes didn't complain however because they were starving and if memory served them correctly, the food there was going to be much better than what they received during their flight.

After they all ate to their heart's desire, Mrs. Jones dropped Mike and his mom off at their house before turning down the street to their own home. Diane helped Mercedes take her things into the house before locking the car and closing the house door behind her.

Mercedes breathed in the familiar scents around her and smiled pleasantly, happy to be back home.

"Do you want me to fix you a cup of tea sweetheart?" her mother asked moving toward the kitchen before Mercedes could even answer.

"No thank you, Momma. Don't trouble yourself with that. I'm just really tired."

"Okay sweetheart," her mom smiled. "I'll save it for the morning." Mrs. Jones approached her daughter with open arms and Mercedes happily slipped between them. Closing her eyes and holding her mother tight she let her know that she missed her dearly.

"I missed you too, baby," her mother replied.

She kissed her mom goodnight before she finally made it to her room.

Once she made it up the stairs, she shrugged off her jeans and pulled off her bra before collapsing on the bed.

All that traveling had done a number on Mercedes' body and she had a big day ahead of her. She promised Artie that she'd meet him bright and early to go over plans for the musical. Mike said they'd grab breakfast on their way over. The thought of her busy day both excited and exhausted her and her body was more than grateful for her soft mattress and fluffy white pillows. Within minutes, Mercedes was fast asleep.

XXXX

The next day, Mercedes arose bright and early to get ready. She was excited! She was back in her hometown and she was ready to show out! She couldn't wait to see the new talent at McKinley and she was super excited to begin working on "Grease". The musical was one of her absolute favorites!

Besides her parents and Artie, no one else back home even knew she was in Lima. Not even Sam. _Especially _not Sam. She wanted to surprise him most of all because well, Mercedes Jones loved to make an entrance!

She walked down the halls of the high school with Mike at her side smiling at all the familiar sights and sounds. She had no idea where Sam was so she kept ducking behind Mike every time she spotted blond locks.

Just in case.

She also kept an eye out for Tina. Wanting to surprise her as well, Mike hadn't called her either and was very eager for his chance to finally speak with his ex. They never really talked about it, but Mercedes could tell that he really missed her, the same way she missed Sam.

When Artie gave them the signal, they made their way down the West wing of the school and met up with him and Finn. After several greetings and hugs were exchanged, Mercedes fell into step with the boys as they made their way toward the auditorium.

It was nice seeing her old New Directions pals. Artie rolled down the halls with much more confidence than she'd ever seen from him and she just knew that it came from the feeling of finally being at the top of the high school food chain. Finn seemed more mature as well and it looked like the army had done him some good, but Mercedes had to admit that the boy looked tired and kind of sad. Finn had greeted them with a bright smile when she and Mike first came into view, but even then, she was very much aware of the sadness behind his eyes. This Finn seemed a lot like that lost, misdirected Finn she encountered last year. The one who thought he needed to tie himself to Rachel in order to have any hope of a future. It made her sad.

She kept an eye on him while Artie filled her and Mike in on the state of the auditions. In his quiet moments, Mercedes saw how unsure of himself Finn seemed to be. Almost like he was trying to find a reason to care about anything anymore and she felt for him.

Life after high school was unstable and unpredictable and unfortunately, Finn was at a point where he believed he received the worst of both. It was then that she understood why Artie had called her and Mike back, Finn _needed_ this musical. He needed to find some direction and positivity in his life and there was just no way he would be able to get there without some help.

When she took her seat beside him at the judges' tables, she reached out and rubbed his back, offering him a kind smile. He shot her a small lopsided grin. His eyes were so sad that her heart swole. Looking up at him she said, "Don't worry. You're going to do a great job, Finn. You _know_ how to lead. It's one of your many gifts. Don't forget that."

His eyes lit up at her words and he offered her an even wider smile, with grateful brown eyes as he responded, "Thanks, Mercedes."

"You're welcome," she replied before turning toward Artie for a copy of the audition list and sheet music.

It was weird being behind the judges' table. On the _other_ side of the stage. She was so used to being up there, on that stage, doing her favorite thing in the entire world; performing. While it was a nice break from the anxiety and pressure she often felt up there on the stage, it was strange just watching others and not participating.

A sophomore with bright red hair was the first person Mercedes and Mike saw. The girl chose to sing the reprise of _"Look at me, I'm Sandra Dee"_ as she auditioned for the Sandy role. Her performance was incredible, but her voice wasn't really right for the part.

Three more girls came out after, also auditioning for the role of Sandy, but none of them were quite right either.

"Next!" Artie yelled, calling out the next group of performers. Mercedes gasped when she saw who it was. Unique Adams in all of her shining glory strutted out from backstage all made up and decked out in a stunning black and silver number. A beautiful brunette with big blue eyes accompanied her. When they got the okay from Finn, they began their audition song, "_Blow Me (One Last Kiss)_" by P!nk.

Mercedes was blown away! The tune was one of her favorites and the girls were doing _such_ a great job.

Their voices rang out strong and clear and filled the entire auditorium:

_I will do what I please anything that I want,_

_I will breathe, I will breathe, I won't worry at all_

_You will pay for your sins, you'll be sorry my dear,_

_All the lies, all the lies, will be crystal clear!_

Mercedes nodded her head in time to the music. Unique and Marley were putting on a great show and their voices sounded wonderful together. She grinned from ear to ear as she watched them sing the final chorus. They had so much energy and the pair looked like they were having so much fun! She wanted so badly to just jump up there and join them, but she knew she needed to restrain herself. She was no longer a McKinley High student and it was the current roster's time to shine.

_I think I've finally had enough, _

_I think I maybe think too much,_

_I think this might be it for us, _

_Blow me one last kiss!_

_You think I'm just too serious, _

_I think you're full of it!_

_My head is spinning so,_

_Blow me one last kiss!_

_Just when it can't get worse, _

_I've had a bad day,_

_You've had a bad day, _

_We've had a bad day!_

_I think that life's too short for this, _

_Want back my ignorance and bliss,_

_I think I've had enough of this,_

_Blow me one last kiss!_

Finishing with an impressive harmony, the pair looked expectantly into the audience at the four judges.

"Wow, that had more energy than the last three auditions combined," Mercedes remarked, clapping loudly.

"Ladies, do you have any preference for the parts you want to play?" Artie asked.

"Sandy!" Marley replied breathlessly before Artie even finished his sentence. "Definitely Sandy!"

"What about you Wade?" Mike asked, directing his attention to the fabulous diva beside Marley.

Unique gave Marley a look and Marley nodded reassuringly.

"I would like to play the role of Rizzo," Unique replied. Mercedes smiled and exchanged a glance with Mike who nodded and dutifully jotted that down before she stole a look at Artie and Finn. The other boys did not look too convinced. It appeared they'd have much to discuss later.

"Thank you for coming in ladies," she addressed the pair. "We'll be in contact."

XXXX

Auditions had taken longer than Mercedes had anticipated. They didn't wrap until after four and she still hadn't seen Sam. As they exited the auditorium together, Finn suggested they meet at his house later to discuss what they'd seen. They all agreed to meet around 5:30PM and went their separate ways. Before heading towards the parking lot, Mike asked her if she needed a ride home but she declined, letting him know that there was something she needed to do first. Mike nodded, seemingly understanding before he smiled and hugged her goodbye.

Mercedes made her way toward the boys' locker room. If memory served her correctly, Sam should be getting out of football practice any minute now. Keeping an eye out for blondies, being extra vigilant since she no longer had Mike flanking her, she cautiously made her way toward his locker. She ducked behind an open classroom door when she saw a crowd of guys leave the locker room. When she spotted the blond hottie with the body in a scrumptious smedium Henley, she felt butterflies.

She watched as he began to turn his combination lock, grabbing books from the top shelf and putting them into his bag. He didn't notice her as she walked up to him from behind and covered his eyes. But he _smelt_ her. The vanilla, almond aroma was unmistakably _hers_.

"Mercedes?" he breathed, almost afraid to be thrown out of what definitely felt like a dream.

Grabbing the mysterious pair of hands and removing them from his eyes, he slowly turned around and came face to face with one Mercedes Jones.

"Hey Sammy," she smiled up at him, suddenly shy.

"Mercedes?!" he exclaimed, a bright smile spreading across his face. "Mercedes!" he yelled again, making her squeal as he picked her up in his strong arms and spun her around and around. Mercedes laughed, hitting him playfully as she begged him to put her down. When he finally did, she smiled up at him.

Shaking his head Sam regarded her, still holding onto her waist. "But...how? _When_?...Is this _real_?..Wh-?"

"Airplane. Yesterday and I'm not quite sure how to answer that last one, but yes, it's really me! I'm back Sam! Only for a little while but, I'm here!"

Sam pulled her into a tight embrace then nuzzled his nose into her neck, breathing her in. He never wanted to let her go. "You were missed. Really, _really_ missed," Sam breathed into her ear.

"I missed you too, Blondie."

"What are you doing here?" Sam asked, still in disbelief.

"I'm here to help out with the musical. Artie needed me to be the vocal coach. Mike's here too. Helping coach dance," she explained.

"Artie's a smart man," Sam smiled. "We _definitely_ need your help."

Mercedes giggled. "Why do you say it like that?"

"Because Schuester's gone and _Finn's_ in charge. Finn's my friend and all, but let's be real. He doesn't have a voice like yours and couldn't help anyone's singing improve if his life depended on it. Artie's a smart man calling in _the_ _voice_, to coach the musical."

"_The voice?_ Really? That's what they're calling me?"

"Well, that's what _I've _been calling you. They'll catch on eventually," Sam winked at her.

Mercedes laughed and gently hit him on the arm. "I see you're still _crazy_."

"Craaaaaazy!" Sam imitated her, causing her to hit him again.

"I see you're still violent," Sam smirked, clutching his 'wounded' arm. He laughed when she gave him a look. "Kidding...only kidding," he replied with raised hands.

"You're lucky you're so cute," she replied.

"Oh?"

"Mhmmm," she smiled, walking away from him.

"Where are you off to?" he asked, pulling his backpack over his shoulder and running up to her.

"I'm actually supposed to go to your place in a few. Musical discussions. Audition debriefs, you know how it is," she replied, with a wave of her hand.

"Actually I don't," he replied. "But I'll take your word for it."

She chuckled again.

"So you're riding with me?"

"Mhmmm."

"Well let's go, Miz Jones," he said as he held out his elbow. Mercedes smiled, linking their arms as they made their way to his pickup truck. When they reached his vehicle, he opened up the door and held it open for her. As she shuffled into the seat, he got a full view of her glorious behind and his cheeks burned bright red. That ass was still amazing! A million and one dirty thoughts came to his mind then, but he suppressed them as he closed the door behind her and made his way to his seat. They were just friends now and he was determined to be a gentleman. He took a deep breath to calm himself down before hopping into the driver's seat. Once he sat down, Sam started the engine and put the car in 'drive' and began their journey to Chez Hudson-Hummel.

XXXX

When Sam and Mercedes arrived at the Hudson-Hummel abode, Artie, Mike and Finn were already set up in the den deliberating.

"You guys got started without me?" she asked as Sam followed her down the stairs.

"Not really... We just realized that we don't really have a lot of Danny Zuko options. We're trying to figure out how to recruit more guys," Finn responded.

"Sam?" Mike said, rising from his seat to greet his old friend.

"Hey Mike. How've you been?"

"Great. I've been doing well. How about you?"

"I've been good too. But honestly not nearly as good as I was this afternoon," he replied, glancing Mercedes' way. His gaze was so intense, Mercedes had to look away. It was only for a second, but Mercedes definitely felt that old electricity travel up and down her spine and her feet suddenly felt like jelly. She needed to sit down.

"Sam, how about you?" Artie said turning his attention toward the blond. "Interested in being our Danny?"

Sam glanced at Mercedes again. One of their songs was 'Summer Nights' and he still fancied himself the Danny to Mercedes' Sandy. That was _their_ private thing and he didn't want to be Danny if she wasn't going to be his Sandy.

Looking back at Artie, who stared back at him through wide-rimmed glasses he replied, "Nah, sorry man. Not Danny... but I was actually thinking of trying out for Kenickie."

"Oh okay," Artie replied sounding somewhat disappointed.

Sam looked Mercedes' way again and caught her breathing out what looked like a sigh of relief.

"Back to the drawing board I guess," Finn said, erasing a name off of his notebook.

"Well, we're going to get back to our work then," Artie replied. "So Sam, if you don't min-"

"I get it. Classified stuff. I'm hungry anyway... catch y'all later!"

With one last look at Mercedes, who offered him an apologetic smile, he made his way up the stairs to the kitchen.

XXXX

When they finished discussing the day's audition options and ways to find possible Dannys (Finn promising to scout the football team for undiscovered talent and Artie agreeing to speak with Joe Hart and Jake Puckerman about the role), the foursome ended the meeting. Finn, Artie and Mike were starving after the meeting and as such, quickly made their way up to raid the fridge. Mercedes stayed downstairs with Sam. He'd snuck back downstairs, with a finger in each ear as he breezed past the busy musical committee.

The door to his room was locked so she knocked. "Sam? It's me, Mercedes."

No answer.

"Sam?" she asked, knocking again and placing her head to the door. "I know you're in there," she chuckled.

But still, nothing.

All she could hear was the sound of classic rock blasting from his stereo.

Cautiously opening the door, Mercedes stepped into the somewhat familiar room. Sam was staying in Kurt's old room, but the style had definitely been remixed. The modern chic styled room clearly looked like it had been invaded by a comic book loving, sci-fi fan boy. Shaking her head in amusement at all of the superhero themed posters on the wall and the action figures lining the top of the bookshelf, she sat down on his bed, also noting his Avatar bedspread. Lying down on her back, she noticed star-shaped glow in the dark stickers on the roof and she chuckled. This room was so incredibly _Sam_ she couldn't even handle it right now. He was still such a nerd.

When the door to the adjoined room flew open, Mercedes popped back up. Sam came out of the steaming bathroom, his damp hair clinging to his face as droplets pitter-pattered to the ground. They made eye contact and his lips parted when he saw her sitting on his bed. She gasped audibly when she saw what he was wearing, or rather, _not_ wearing. Her mouth hung open as Samuel James Evans stood before her naked as the day he was born.

When she realized that she was staring with her mouth wide open, she closed it tightly, blushing instantly as she averted her gaze.

"I-I didn't know you were in the shower. Otherwise I wouldn't have come in witho- you know what? I'll just wait outside..."

"No, wait... give me a second."

Before Mercedes could respond, Sam had turned around and made his way back into the bathroom, but not before she got a good view of his firm behind in _high definition_.

Mercedes fiddled with her hands and cursed herself for not staying outside. She was in the middle of debating whether or not she should just run back outside when he reentered the room. This time with a tiny white towel wrapped loosely around his waist.

He had another towel in his hand as he dried his hair. "What's up?" he asked nonchalantly.

Mercedes gulped. How was he being so calm about this? She was _dying._ She still had a view of his firm abdomen. _Still_ dripping wet. As she watched him move around the room with a towel that threatened to fall to the floor at any second, Mercedes felt a pool begin to form between her legs. She couldn't help it.

But she _could_ do something.

"Sam..."

"Hmmm..?" he looked up briefly as he opened and shut drawers looking for a clean shirt to put on.

"I-uh, I really don't think I should be in here right now..." she responded. She was finding it difficult to focus.

"And why not?" he asked with a smirk.

Mercedes frowned slightly, her attempt at restraint failing with every passing second. _'He is so rude,'_ she thought.

When she caught him smirking at her, she knew that the bastard knew _exactly _what he was doing to her. _'Damn him!' _she thought slightly annoyed.

"You know why," she hissed.

"Mercedes, darlin'...it's not like you haven't fully investigated the merchandise before," he teased.

"It's _inappropriate_," she replied, this time with both of her hands covering her eyes. "And that towel's about to fall any second now!"

"It's not my way to get in the way of fate, darlin'," he smirked, playfully.

"_Sam!"_ she begged. "If you don't cover up right this second, I won't be held responsible for my actions," she threatened.

"Oh?" Sam replied eyebrow raised, intrigued. "Is that so?"

"Yes!" Mercedes whined. "Pleaseeee! Just get dressed!"

"Okay, okay!" Sam chuckled.

He pulled a shirt over his head and slipped on a pair of boxer shorts. He even pulled on a pair of jeans to make sure she was completely comfortable. When he saw that she was visibly relaxed, he took a seat beside her. "I'm dressed," he said.

Peeking through her fingers before finally removing her hands from her eyes, Mercedes made eye contact with him again. "Good," she smiled.

A comfortable silence fell between the two. Sam couldn't stop staring at the girl before him. He knew she was really there, but he _still_ couldn't believe it.

"What?" she asked, a tiny smile playing at her lips.

"You're beautiful."

"Sam..."

"No really, you were beautiful before you left, no doubt, but something about the West Coast... it's been good too you. You look great."

"Thanks, Sammy," she blushed. "You don't look so bad either."

He flexed his muscles then, showing off his guns before he smirked at her. "So you liked the show?"

Mercedes' eyes grew wide and she grabbed his pillow and began smacking him, smiling all the while. "Okay! I am not even going to glorify _that_ with an answer!"

"Okay!" he laughed. "Stop hitting me!"

"Stop being fresh!"

"I'm not being fres- ah! Okay! Fine I was being a _little_ fresh! But I'm done, I swear!"

"Good," Mercedes replied with a laugh.

Sam looked over at her fondly. "_God, _it's so good to hear that again."

"What?" Mercedes asked, confused.

"That laugh. I missed it."

She smiled.

"It's good to see you again, Mercedes," he replied taking her hand.

"It's good to see you too Sam."

"So how long are you here for?"

"Only about two weeks."

"Not long enough," Sam pouted.

"I know, I know," but I'll be back for Thanksgiving! It's only about a month away..."

"That's still a while from now, but I'll take it," Sam replied.

"So...Mr._ VP_! How've you been adjusting to all the responsibility?"

He chuckled at her enthusiasm before replying. "It honestly gets more stressful every day but I'm hanging in there. It's one of the most challenging things I've ever taken on."

Mercedes nodded at that. "How's working with Blaine?"

"Better," Sam smiled. "Now that we finally got a chance to _really_ talk, turns out he's not so bad."

"No, he's not. Just takes some warming up to."

"Speaking of Blaine. He's been kind of down lately...you heard about him and Kurt right?"

"Yea..." Mercedes replied sadly. "Finn told me"

"He's really bummed about it."

"Well, he should be. Cheating is never the answer."

"Yea, you're right," Sam replied, giving her a sheepish look. He knew she was thinking about last year, when she was with Shane. "I think they'll find their way back to each other though."

"Oh yea?"

"Yea. Blaine and Kurt are like us," he replied stroking the back of her hand. "_Soulmates._ And no matter what, it'll always be us in the end," Sam finished staring deeply into her eyes.

Suddenly, Mercedes felt nervous all over again. Her eyes lowered and she could focus on nothing but his full lips. Those _inviting_ full lips. Mercedes closed her eyes when she saw Sam lean forward, inching his lips, closer and closer to her own...

"SAM! MERCEDES! DINNER'S READY!" Finn's voice came from upstairs.

Collecting herself, Mercedes stood to her feet. Sam, looking somewhat disappointed, stood up with her.

"Sam?" Mercedes called as she walked out the bedroom.

"Hmmm?"

"I did."

"You did what?"

"I liked the show, I really, _really_ liked the show," Mercedes winked at him as she made her way to the stairway, leaving him stunned, digesting her words. After a few seconds, he collected himself and ran to catch up with her, a huge grin on his face. He followed her up the stairs, trying hard not to stare at her ample behind, but failing miserably.

XXXX

When it was time for her to leave, Sam held her tightly in his arms and whispered in her ear, "See you tomorrow?" he asked.

"Definitely," she replied, giving him a final squeeze.

Waving to Finn, Burt and Carole and once again to Sam, Mercedes followed Artie and Mike to the car and headed home.

XXXX

**Sam's POV**

Sam shifted in his bed. He couldn't sleep. His mind was completely wired. Seeing Mercedes today had been everything he hoped it would be. Being around her made him feel so many different lingering emotions and he was finding it extremely difficult to relax. He couldn't wait to see her again tomorrow!

Sam wondered what she was doing right now. He wished she could be here, with him. He blushed at the thought of the things he'd do to her if she was...He hadn't had sex in, well, _ages_. Puck was right. It _had_ been a while since he'd seen some lady parts. For that very reason, he had all this pent up sexual energy and lately, he had gotten very acquainted with giving the "private" a "dishonorable discharge." He had to dispel that excess energy somehow...

Most nights, he alternated between excessive jogging, cold showers and masturbation. Usually a combination of all three helped keep his desires at bay, but tonight was definitely worse than most nights.

Seeing her again changed everything. The cold showers and extensive exercise did nothing to quell his lust. He'd jerked off until he gave himself a hand cramp, but was still unable to get himself off. When he realized that his normal methods of restraint were not getting him anywhere, he upped the ante by pulling out some of Finn's old naughty mags, but quite honestly none of those plastic, photoshopped to perfection nude models could take him there either. He needed the real deal. His chocolate beauty. His black queen. He needed Mercedes.

Realizing that all of his efforts had been futile, he finally gave up and eventually passed out from exhaustion.

About an hour or so later, Sam stirred. He thought he heard something outside.

Groggily, he got up and walked to his window to take a look.

Nothing.

He squinted into the darkness and saw much of the usual suspects: trees, bushes, shrubbery. He was about to walk back to bed when something caught his eye. Neon green tights. He blinked in disbelief upset that his eyes were clearly playing tricks on him but when he saw long dark locks and big brown eyes as his favorite face finally came into view, he gasped.

It was Mercedes.

Sam released the locks and quickly opened the window to let her in. Mercedes swung her legs through the opening and he reached out for her. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he placed his arms tightly around her waist, helping her into his room.

She held on tight as he supported her weight and only let go when he gently placed her on the ground. Mercedes slowly removed her arms from his shoulders as she looked shyly up at him. Sam was stunned to silence, his hands still gently placed on her waist.

"Hey..." she spoke softly, smiling bashfully.

"Hey..." he replied, when the power of speech was finally restored to him.

Her large doe eyes stared up at him. They were dark, full of lust. Noticing that her hair was slightly out of place, Sam reached out and gently brushed loose strands out of her face. He trailed his fingertips over her cheek and caressed it gently with his thumb.

"What are you doing here?" He asked softly, his eyes filled with concern and confusion.

Her warm eyes were intense as they held his gaze. Sam's eyes traveled to her full lips when she responded in a whisper, "I needed to see you..."

His heart fluttered at that but he still didn't understand.

"Why? Is something wrong?" He started to ask her, but was promptly cut off when she silenced him with her lips. Sam's eyes popped open in surprise at her impulsive action, but soon comfortably settled into the gesture. He'd wanted to kiss her all day, but he also wanted to respect her wishes.

But now that she was here, in his room, kissing him, he took that as an invitation to get closer to her.

Sam moved both of his hands up to her face caressing her cheeks as he returned her kiss with the same intensity she had been giving him. Mercedes moved her arms up his body, finally clasping them around his neck. She moved in closer to him, letting Sam trail his hands down her body, shivering as his touch left a warm trail in their wake. He moved them down until they landed on the crook right above her ample behind.

Mercedes tilted her head, opening it slightly to grant Sam's eager tongue access. The two organs intertwined, in a lustful dance of pleasure and long held need. She ran her tongue over his bottom lip, generating a small moan from him. In response, Sam moved his lips lower, peppering kisses over her cheeks, jaw line and the crook of her neck. Gripping his neck tighter as he trailed his tongue over one of her spots, Mercedes involuntarily moved her crotch against his leg, the apex of her body pulsating with desire.

She reveled in the strange pull she felt whenever she was in close proximity to Sam. She was happy that nothing had changed at all. He still could drive her wild with the most innocent of touches.

Mercedes broke their contact for a brief moment so that Sam could pull his t-shirt over his head. Running her fingertips over his well-defined biceps, pectorals, and chiseled abs, Mercedes looked up at him in a lustful daze.

"I missed you," she confessed breathlessly before placing rough kisses onto his chest.

Sam moaned in appreciation as she used her tongue to circle his nipples. She gripped the back of his neck with one hand as the other moved toward his happy trail, inching closer and closer to the waistline of his boxers. When she finally reached the front of his shorts, she was not surprised to find the huge bulge there. Somewhere between seeing her face outside his window and sinking into her kiss, he'd grown hard.

She smiled wickedly against his lips as she stroked him through the thin cotton fabric with her small fingers and elicited a guttural groan from his very core. She slipped her fingers inside to get a better feel of him all the while ensuring to apply the pressure she knew he preferred sliding her hands up and down his length from the head to the shaft. She concentrated on the tiny 'o' his full lips were making as his body quivered in reaction to what her hand was doing.

She squeaked slightly when he reached under her thighs and hoisted her up in his sculpted arms. Wrapping her legs around him as he moved them both over to his bed, their lips and tongues joined and engaged in a frantic battle for dominance.

When they finally reached the bed, Sam set her softly down on the edge. Mercedes made quick work of unbuttoning her blouse and removing it as he fiddled with the waistband of her skintight leggings. They held each other's gaze as he slid the garment off her body and she giggled when he made a show of flinging the now useless article across the room. He smirked at her smugly as he climbed over her, coaxing her onto her back as he kissed his way up her body.

He used his tongue to trail a slick path from the top of her underwear waistline to the bottom of her bra and he made sure to grip her sides the way she liked as he dipped his tongue inside of her belly button. Peppering soft kisses on her pillowy stomach, he made his way back up to her lips, sealing them together once more. His rough hands palmed her full breasts, massaging them just the way she liked.

Sam took a moment to glance down between them and smiled in appreciation. She'd worn the fuchsia lace set he liked. The one with the clasp in front, "for easy access" she'd told him just a few months ago. He wasted no time in freeing her bountiful girls from the purple prison in which they lay, revealing both of her hardened nipples. Sam traced them both, teasing them slightly between his index and thumb, rolling the pebbles as he licked and sucked on her collarbone. When his lips landed on her chest, her back arched off the mattress. Sam circled the pebbles with his tongue, sucking on them hard as she ran her hands roughly through his hair.

"Sam..." She sighed. "Touch me"

He glanced up at her briefly noting her desperate expression and he happily obeyed, running his long calloused fingers to her core. He wasn't surprised to find that the damp patch there. He gently placed his hand over the mound and massaged it through the fabric. Mercedes' back arched once more, moaning his name and pushing his head down, closer to her dampness.

Sam understood her urgency and he was more than ready to give her what she so desperately needed but still, he took his sweet time hovering over her most private part. He tapped her hips lightly and she raised herself off the bed so he could slip the garment off. Tossing the bottoms to the corner of the room in the same fashion as he did her leggings, he eagerly brought his face back to her opening. His mouth salivated as he breathed in the scent of her arousal. He traced her slit gingerly, not meaning to tease her but to savor her. He felt like a traveler that had gotten lost in a dry dusty desert for many days. He'd gone for much too long without a sip from her sweet oasis and his throat ached with a thirst that only Mercedes could quench.

He leaned forward and placed a lingering kiss there then raised his head to see her gazing down at him with hooded eyes. She had a finger in her mouth and was gripping her chest with the other, playing with her nipples as she peered down at him expectantly.

Sam's normally bright green eyes darkened as he focused his attention back on the tropical drink before him.

He blew cool breath over her center before flattening his tongue and running it over her petals. He knew he was working her right when she gripped his blond locks tightly begging him for more.

"Sam...please. Don't tease me!" she cried.

At that he sank down between her legs and went to work. His classmates always made it a point to make fun of his lips, but Mercedes sure appreciated them and the magic they were capable of.

Sam gripped her thighs while he hungrily lapped at her core, drawing soft moans from her lips. He took his time exploring her even though he knew full well how to navigate her body. He fancied her core a place he'd visited time and time before but had stopped visiting for a while. Judging by the grip of her fingers in his locks, the tightening of her thighs around his head and the moans escaping her lips, he knew that he was doing his job well.

"Sammmm..." she moaned, her body shaking as an orgasm coursed through it. Sam kept up his lip work until the very last tremor passed through her body. Rising slowly, he brought his lips back up to Mercedes', allowing her to have a taste as well.

Slipping out from under him, Mercedes flipped Sam over onto his back. His piercing sage eyes gazed up at her expectantly as she climbed over him, taking hold of his length and stroking him. He reached over to the side table and pulled out a condom. Mercedes helped him put it on before grabbing hold of him again and placing him inside of her.

They groaned in unison as she sunk down onto him; him, for the tight warm walls that welcomed him back with open arms and her, for the sheer fullness that she felt because of his impressive length.

She rode him slowly at first, adjusting her body so that she could obtain maximum pleasure for them both. Leaning forward, she brought her lips to Sam's in a messy kiss. She continued to ride him, picking up the pace as he grabbed her face with both hands and kissed her fiercely.

They only broke contact to let moans escape their lips. Mercedes sat up again and began to thrust harder as she felt the heat between her legs rise. Sam gripped her thighs as she drove them both toward their edges. When he reached up and pinched her nipples, she finally spilled over biting his shoulder to stifle her cries. Sam followed soon after, sealing his lips to hers.

Exhausted, Mercedes collapsed on top of him, resting her head on his solid chest as she breathed out labored breaths. Sam brought his hands to her head and stroked her sweaty hair as she glanced up at him. Sam caught her eye and grinned.

"Well Ms. Jones...that was incredible."

"You weren't so bad yourself" she smirked, tracing small circles on his chest.

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Really? Just not bad?" he asked. When she nodded, he pouted and Mercedes giggled as she played with his chest hairs. He lowered his hands from her hair and poked her sides.

"Okay! Okay!" she protested, squirming from his teasing fingers. "You were amazing too! Stop!" she giggled, rolling away from him.

Sam chuckled as he had mercy on her and pulled her body tightly against his once more. With his arms wrapped around her waist as he held her from behind, he brought his lips to her ear and in a rumbling husky tone whispered, "Good". She shuddered as his chest rumbled against her back and her eyes fluttered closed as he began to nibble on her ear. She shifted her body so that she was facing him again and her chestnut eyes met his piercing green.

"Hi..." She breathed running her fingers lightly over his jaw line.

"Hey," he smiled, resting his forehead against hers.

She returned his smile and reached out, smoothing wild blond hair away from his eyes. He never took his eyes off of her as she continued to caress his face.

"So..." Sam began.

She regarded him, askance.

"So we're still just friends huh?"

A nervous look flashed across her eyes but she quickly recovered, composed herself and smiled.

"Just friends," she confirmed, nodding.

"Just two people in a platonic relationship?"

"Yes, Sam. _Friends_"

"Two people in a platonic relationship with not even a_ little _bit of non-platonic feelings?"

"Sam..." she warned.

"Mercedes," he smirked.

When she gave him a look, he chuckled. "Fine," he surrendered.

Smiling victoriously, she snuggled closer to him and rubbed her fingers over his biceps.

"So two people who have absolutely no interest in-"

She silenced him with a kiss then and though initially caught off guard, he readily sank into her gesture. She was already saying everything he needed to know.

**LOVE IT? HATE IT? REVIEW!**

**A/N:** Ooh la la! Surprise Samcex! I told y'all, treat yo'self! ;) hahahaha

This chapter was both fun and difficult to write. I really struggled with the timeline of events because they are sooo unrealistic (but should we expect anything logical from glee writers anymore? I think not). Mercedes and Mike took a break from school to help out with their high school musical for more than a week? At what college does _that_ happen? Idk... so I condensed some of the days (determined by outfit changes on the show) in order to make things go quickly/be more realistic. Also, since I really like Sam and Mercedes being in the same place at once, I'm probably gonna take my time with the _Glease_ storyline even though it was only two episodes and there wasn't any canonic encounters. A lot is about to happen real fast, so bare with me. Be sure to tell me what you thought! :) Until next time...


	8. I Love You

**A/N:** Sorry I took so long with this update. It was a combination of writer's block and lack of motivation to write anything other than something that directly dealt with Finn and Rachel after what happened to Cory. Samcedes Week (and time to heal) was what really got me back to this story. An update was in order for Day One's prompt "Season 4 Redo" because this is kind of what this entire story is all about. I'll try not to take so long with the next update.

Thank you so much for sticking with me and continuing to read this story. I really, _really_ appreciate it. As always, please let me know what you thought when you've finished reading. Love you guys and happy reading!

* * *

**Mercedes' POV**

Mercedes was giddy with glee. She couldn't believe what she'd just done with Sam the other night. It went completely against everything she'd told herself she should and should not do, but she found that she didn't regret it.

Not.

One.

Bit.

It had been everything she'd remembered and _more_.

She wasn't sure how they were going to navigate this new territory. They still weren't officially together again. But it's not like she ever stopped loving him. She still craved being close to him.

_Were they now "Friends With Benefits"? _

Mercedes wasn't sure, but she shuddered at the thought.

The term made her feel gross and she couldn't see herself willingly entering a relationship like that.

She knew at the bottom of her heart that they were never actually _just_ friends. The feelings were _way _too strong for that, but she knew when these few weeks were over, she'd be right back in LA miles away, and he'd still be here on the east coast. And they'd be right back at square one.

The thought alone made her frown, but she shook away the feeling. She still felt a certain way about Sam and based on his actions the day before, he still felt some type of way about her, so she decided not to put a label on... _whatever_ it was they had going on. She was going to live in the moment and focus on doing what felt right.

And being with Sam just felt _right_.

She grabbed her clothing for the day and set it out on her bed before she hopped in the shower. Today was going to be another busy day. She had a meeting with Finn, Artie and Mike again, then they had another round of auditions to watch. After that, they'd finally be able to make the callback list. Working on the school musical sure was a lot of hard work, but Mercedes didn't mind. She had her mind on the ultimate goal, preparing a great show, and she'd be damned if they didn't.

XXXX

Mercedes arrived at school for the second round of auditions early. It was nice being in the empty auditorium. The cool air conditioning and the lone spotlight shining down on the stage filled her with nostalgia. It was here that Sam had surprised her with her name in lights so many months ago. She smiled at the memory. They'd both been so nervous then about where they stood with each other but over time somewhere in her heart, she'd come to realize that there was nothing to be afraid of. Sam was right. They were soul mates and for some reason no matter how many times they separated, fate had a funny way of bringing them right back together. So why fight it right?

They were _endgame_.

Mercedes just knew it.

The next round of auditions went off without a hitch and though just like the day before when they had to endure countless performances that were simply not up to the standard they were going for, another duet completely blew them out of the water.

She didn't know what she'd expected when the baby faced boy in the leather jacket and the blond cheerleader took the stage but she was impressed.

Jake Puckerman and Kitty Wilde not only sounded wonderful together with their rendition of Neon Trees _Everybody Talks_, but their dance moves were absolutely stellar and Mercedes just knew that they could use that type of energy and precision in the upcoming musical. Her only regret was that making the decision for the main roles was going to be even more difficult now.

These were some _talented _kids, but in the end they wanted the right people to play the right roles. And what that meant was they needed a cast that was equally talented, reliable and passionate about what they were trying to do.

Choosing the final cast definitely wasn't going to be easy.

She found her suspicions to be true when Finn, Mike and Artie had their deliberation afterwards. Artie was an advocate for Kitty as Sandy, while Mike and herself had a really good feeling about Marley. She was pleasantly surprised to see how passionate and certain Finn was about giving Unique the role of Rizzo. It was a rare sight to behold but she loved it. After a long day of auditions and deliberations, the foursome finally called it quits and went their separate ways. They promised to each go over their notes and think more on the casting and before regrouping later.

As Mercedes was making her way to Sam's locker, the unmistakable scent of raspberry hair gel tickled her nostrils.

Blaine.

Turning around she noticed the ex-Warbler making his way toward the parking lot, shoulders slumped with satchel in hand. She hesitantly glanced back at the boys' locker room, but then turned to follow him.

"Hey Blaine!" she called from a few meters behind him. "Wait up!"

The boy turned around then and when he caught sight of her, his sad eyes looked nervous if only for a second. "Mercedes. Hey..."

When she finally caught up with him, she watched as Blaine leaned on the nearest locker. "If you're gonna yell at me, go ahead. I'm a horrible, horrible person..."

Mercedes frowned but responded gently, "Don't worry Blaine... I'm not here to bite your head off. What you did was terrible, but I'm sure you know that already... All I really want to know I guess is why. Why would you do that to Kurt?"

Blaine slid down to the floor and covered his face with his hands and Mercedes moved to sit beside him.

"I can't even answer that. It was stupid. _So_ stupid. And any excuse I have will never ever explain how horrible I feel for what I did to him. I'm such an idiot!"

"Yes you are," Mercedes nodded and that made Blaine raise his head. "...but to be fair, it could have happened to anybody."

Blaine looked at her askance and she continued. "Last year. I... I cheated on Shane with Sam and I just felt horrible afterwards. I really cared about him but I still had all of these feelings for Sam still festering. Long story short, I had a moment of weakness too."

The pair sat in silence for a moment as that piece of knowledge sank between them. Blaine stared into the distance but she knew he'd heard her. After a while he replied, "What am I supposed to do, Mercedes?"

"Give him space," Mercedes suggested. "And give him time."

Blaine's face crumpled and he wiped at his tears. Mercedes reached into her purse and handed him a Kleenex.

"Time heals all wounds, Blaine," she continued. "In the meanwhile, take care of yourself. It's okay to be upset because you made a mistake, but you can't keep reliving it. Accept that you made that mistake and move on."

"But I c-can't..." Blaine sputtered.

Mercedes took his hand and squeezed. "But you _can. _Do you care about Kurt?"

Blaine looked up at her with watery hazel eyes, surprised she'd even ask that. "Of course I do!"

"Then try to fix it! Do not push him but certainly, do not mope about it forever! You did a bad thing Blaine, but you're not a bad person. Okay?"

Blaine nodded, "Thanks Mercedes... that means a lot to me"

She nodded at him but made sure he understood she wasn't necessarily taking his side. "Make no mistake. I still stan for my boy Kurt but this long distance thing is... it's something. Anything can happen..."

As Blaine nodded again, her phone rang. It was Sam.

"Hey... yea I'm still here. Give me like five minutes and I'll be right there. Okay...bye" When she hung up, she found Blaine staring at her.

"That was Sam wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Mercedes replied, involuntarily blushing.

"How's that working out? Long distance wise I mean... There's more distance between you and Sam than there was between me and Kurt..."

"It's...complicated. We actually broke up before the school year started again but I still care about him. I still feel connected to him. There are a lot of cute guys out in Cali and I mean _a lot_, but none of them hold a candle to Sam...I guess I haven't really moved on..."

Blaine took her hand again and smiled weakly at her. "If you love him, Mercedes, don't give up on him. He's still in love with you, you know..."

"I know..."

"Hold him close," Blaine replied. "And for God's sake, don't mess things up like I did!"

"I won't," Mercedes replied. "I'll try not to."

There was a gentle lull in the conversation for a moment when Blaine finally noticed the Grease sheet music peeking out of her handbag "Oh hey, you're helping out with the musical?"

"Yup!" Mercedes replied, happy to change the tone of the conversation. "Vocal coach to be exact. Artie called in a favor."

"Wise man," Blaine replied. "Bringing _the voice_ to show these kids how it's done."

Mercedes quirked her eyebrows at that. "Wait what'd you call me?"

Blaine caught himself and chuckled lightly. "The "voice". I think I've been hanging around Sam _way_ too much lately..."

Mercedes just smiled and shook her head. Suddenly an idea came to her. "Blaine?"

"Hmmmm...?"

"You should really consider doing the musical. I know you might not feel ready... but maybe it'll help you take your mind off of things for a while. It.. helped me to get over my heartache by throwing myself into my work when I moved to LA... Sometimes a distraction can be good. You'd be the Danny Zuko of our dreams," she finished gently nudging him with her elbow.

Blaine bit his lip in concentration and then replied, "I'm sorry Mercedes... I really don't think I'd be comfortable playing Danny but, I was thinking of maybe going for Teen Angel..."

"Yes!" Mercedes replied, eyes lighting up. Now that she thought about it, she totally saw it. Playing Teen Angel would be child's play for Mr. 'Teenage Dream'. "Please do it!"

"I'll think about it," Blaine promised before he rose to his feet. Reaching out his hands, he helped pull Mercedes off the floor. "I got to get going, the superhero sidekick club is having a meeting at the Lima Bean.

Mercedes cocked an eyebrow at that. "I'm surprised Sam isn't in that with you"

Blaine scoffed. "Believe me, I've _tried_ to get him to join. Didn't work. He muttered something about it not being cool that the Avatar franchise wasn't included. He argued that saving the forest from invaders is superhero material but I didn't agree."

Mercedes chuckled. It was just like her Sammy to fight for Avatar even when he knew he was wrong.

"Well I won't hold you. It was good talking to you Blaine."

"It was good talking to you too Mercedes. Thanks for not... judging me."

"No problem. There are always many sides to every story."

Blaine pulled her in for a hug and Mercedes held onto him tightly. "Remember, no moping and _time_..."

"I know," Blaine whispered. "I'll try."

"That's all I ask," Mercedes replied, releasing him.

Blaine's eyes searched her own for a moment before something in the distance caught his attention.

"Don't look now, but tall, blond and handsome has spotted us."

Mercedes craned her neck to see Sam standing at the end of the hallway. He waved at her.

Waving back, she turned toward Blaine and told him they'd talk later and with that she made her way down the hallway, meeting the Blond babe halfway.

XXXX

Mercedes arrived home shortly after 5:30PM. Sam had given her a ride over before he headed to Tina's to work on college stuff and they may or may not have kissed before he left. Either way, Mercedes was all smiles when she walked through the door. Her grin grew even wider when she caught a whiff of the fried chicken and butter biscuits that her mother was currently preparing. Her father was home from his annual Chicago dentistry conference and they were having some good ol' home cooking instead of eating out.

"Hey Momma!" Mercedes exclaimed as she walked into the kitchen and set her purse on the chair. When her mother stepped away from the fire, Mercedes placed a tender kiss on her cheek.

"How was your day Sweetheart?" Diane asked as she flipped the frying chicken legs over.

"It was great," Mercedes responded as she poured herself a cool drink. "Auditions were pretty good today. These kids are crazy talented! I'm having a lot of fun!"

"That's wonderful sweetie," her mother replied with a warm smile. "Your father just stepped out to pick up a few things for dessert. Help me with the mac and cheese?"

"Sure!" Mercedes replied as she placed her glass on the table. Enthusiastically, she jumped right into her work. Mac and cheese was her specialty.

Charles Jones arrived home about a half hour later and Mercedes practically leapt into his arms.

"Daddy!" she'd squealed when he walked through the door.

"Hey Babygirl," he replied as she helped him take the bags into the kitchen.

Soon they were all sitting around the dinner table holding hands as they said grace. When they finished, they dived right into the feast set before them. Between clinking of utensils on plates and passing of condiments and dishes, the small family fell into easy conversation.

"So Mercedes, how is Los Angeles? What has my baby girl been up to?" Her father asked before he took a sip from his wine glass.

"LA is busy! But that's a good thing. Means I'm not 'idle'," she replied with a grin, air quotes and an eye roll. Her mother suppressed a chuckle behind her hands as her father raised an eyebrow, amused. "Between classes, rehearsals, recording and working, there's just no time to mess around."

"I'm happy to hear that," her father replied.

"Yes I thought you would be," Mercedes retorted as she took a sip from her glass.

"Any new boys I should know about? It's good to know that you're working out there, but should I be worried about you _working it_ out there as well?"

Mercedes almost choked on her drink when she firmly shook her head. "No Dad. _No_ boys. I literally have no time," Mercedes replied as she felt her cheeks grow red.

"So I don't have to grab my shotgun to show some beach bum fool the business?" Charles asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No Daddy. I swear. The only guys that are in my life over there are Puck and Mike and they're practically my brothers!"

"Mike Chang?"

"Yes Charles," Diane said turning toward her husband. "Remember I told you that Julia and I picked them _both_ up from the airport the other day?"

"Oh that's right," Charles replied rubbing his temples. "Sorry. This conference was more hectic than usual and my memory surely isn't what it once was. But that's good to hear Merce! Just be careful with that Puckerman boy... He reminds me of a young me and I was a _mess_! Make sure he keeps himself in check or I might have to run up on him."

"Got it Dad," Mercedes responded shaking her head.

"...And have you spoken to ol' Macaulay lately?"

Mercedes gave her father a blank stare. "Who?"

Her mother was chuckling again. Obviously getting some joke that Mercedes was missing.

"You know," Charles said snapping his fingers. "Puffy lips. Blond Bieber hair?"

"Sam?"

"Yes! How's the Evans boy? You still talk to him?"

"Yes father," she answered knowing her father knew damn well what his name was all along. He wasn't slick. "He actually tried out for the musical this year."

"Hmmm..." Charles responded. "You know I saw him a few weeks ago..."

"Oh really?" Mercedes replied, trying not to seem too interested. "Where?"

"Grocery store. He was working the cash register for my line. Seems like he still can't form complete sentences."

"That's because you scare him Daddy."

Her father looked around the table innocently. "Moi? But I'm a teddy bear!"

"Yea, a ferocious one..." Mercedes muttered.

"What was that?" Her father asked.

"Nothing."

"Anyway. Next time you see him, tell him Charlie says 'hi' and ask him to speak up when talking to grown folk."

"Okay Dad."

The conversation around the table fell into more comfortable topics after that. Mrs. Jones began updating them both on all the great family news. Alexis, her older sister, who'd been engaged for the past year finally decided on a wedding date. Jermaine, her older brother, proposed to his girlfriend of five years and Ty her other brother had received a lucrative job offer in the field of medicine. Mercedes also learnt about a whole lot of other things that she didn't necessarily want to know such as the fact that her parents were both taking tango lessons because they'd heard it would help spice up their love life but other than that, she was having a fine ol' time with her mother and father. Dinner was absolutely delicious (as always!) and to say that she truly enjoyed being back home spending time with her family would've been an understatement.

* * *

**Sam's POV**

"This is hopeless!" Sam exclaimed, tossing his notebook aside.

He was sitting at Tina's living room table going over college essay prompts and sample applications. The first couple questions were easy enough; "name", "address", "intended major", but when he got to the short essay questions and personal essays, he began to feel frustrated.

Tina looked up from her own essay and bit her lip. Sam had his head buried in his arms. She got up wordlessly from the table and picked up his notebook, which had eventually slipped to the floor. She brought it back to Sam and gently tapped him on the shoulder.

"It's not hopeless Sam," she said softly. "Please don't give up so quickly. Remember what you're doing this all for. Or _who..._"

She knew that got his attention when he finally raised his head.

He sighed deeply, but he reached for the notebook.

"Where did you get stuck?" Tina asked as she took her seat again.

"This stupid question: _What are your plans in five and ten years after graduation with a BFA degree?_ How am I supposed to honestly answer that? I don't have any plans really. I just really like making art. I like my comics. I like my macaroni portraits. I like making ordinary things beautiful. I just... I don't know... I have no plan. I'm prepared to let art take me where it takes me."

"Then just say that," Tina suggested.

"Tina. I really don't think that's what they want to hear..."

"Who cares what they want to hear?" Tina exclaimed. "Those people read thousands of applications _daily_. As long as you stand out, and show your determination to make something of yourself, I don't see why they wouldn't accept you."

"Are you sure?"

"I am," Tina nodded confidently. "And if you're still unsure, you could always go to the Writing Center later this week and get a second opinion from Mrs. Porter."

Sam seemed satisfied with that answer and soon got back to his work.

After about a half hour, Sam finally had something that he felt he could show to Mrs. Porter tomorrow.

Sam glanced over at Tina who was still at work on her own applications. Looking around at the cluttered table, he had to smile.

Tina had gone all out with the college thing and had checked out countless books about the college application process. She'd even printed out online articles about the schools as well as college forum answers from past students about what it was like going to said schools. She'd hand picked a list of colleges that she thought Sam would be interested in, specifically collecting information on California art schools. He could tell that she was positively tickled that she'd been able to find numerous schools in the Los Angeles area. Sam had no idea how she managed to get all of this done while at the same time looking for schools for herself in the New York area.

Tina looked up from her work when she felt Sam staring at her. "What?"

"Nothing," Sam replied embarrassed. "It's just... you didn't have to do all of... _this_." He gestured at the stack of books and articles.

Tina rolled her eyes. "Sam please... we've already been over this. I want to help. Just accept it."

"I know. I just didn't think you'd go all out."

"I'm a woman of my word Sam," Tina replied matter of factly. "The overachiever in me is to blame for the rest. I guess I really just like projects?"

Sam chuckled. "Oh I can tell!"

Tina nodded and then turned back to the application in front of her but Sam continued to stare at the girl, tapping his pencil against the table's surface. Something about her was still puzzling him.

"Hey Tina?"

"Hmmm...?" she replied still scribbling furiously.

"How come you aren't auditioning for the musical? I thought you wanted to make this year _yours._"

Tina stopped writing for a second and then turned toward Sam. "I was going to," she admitted. "But then Artie went ahead and called Mercedes and _Mike _to help out and... I guess I just panicked."

Sam nodded understanding.

"I uh, I talked to him today," Tina admitted uncomfortably.

"Really?" Sam asked.

"Yea..." she replied sheepishly. "Didn't really go too well though. I was hurt and angry. He never told me he was coming back... I guess it all just took me by surprise. In the _wrong_ way."

Sam nodded again thinking about his own surprise the other day. His heart went out for his friend.

"You know, you shouldn't let him stand in the way of something _you_ want to do."

"I know," she replied. "I really want to play Rizzo but I-I guess I'm just not ready to be around him yet. It's just...too weird."

"I could talk to him if you want me to."

Tina shook her head. "No. You don't have to do that. I'll just focus on glee club. Even if I can't be Rizzo or the New Rachel, maybe I can be the new Kurt... or Mercedes."

"No one can be the new Mercedes," Sam replied adamantly.

Tina chuckled. "I know, I know. I was just kidding. Mercedes is in her own lane."

"Exactly," Sam agreed, while chewing on a baby carrot.

"Speaking of Mercedes..." Tina began, smiling at the shift in Sam's demeanor when she changed the topic. He was _so_ whipped.

"What about her?" Sam asked cautiously.

"Nothing really...It's just we're sitting here talking about my ex and completely missing the giant elephant in the room. How's it been having her back?"

"It's been..." Sam took a moment to choose his words carefully. "_Incredible_. If I had to choose one word, I'd say perfect. It's been incredibly perfect!"

"Awww!" Tina gushed. "That's great!"

"It is," Sam replied.

"So..." Tina began, twirling her pencil on her fingers. "A little birdie told me that Mercedes was over at your place last night..."

"W-what?" Sam replied flustered. "Who?"

Tina chuckled. "Artie."

Sam made a mental note to have a little chat with Artie later. "Well yea...she was over helping Finn and Artie with the musical."

"Mhmmm..." Tina hummed, narrowing her eyes at Sam.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked with a laugh.

"Sam Evans, are you trying to tell me that _nothing_ happened?"

Sam shrugged off the question much to Tina's annoyance.

"I saw you applying extra cherry lip balm this afternoon. I know that's Mercedes' favorite!"

"I never kiss and tell," Sam smirked.

"So you guys _kissed?_!" Tina exclaimed, rising slightly from her seat.

Sam made a zipping motion as he sealed his lips tightly shut.

"You two totally kissed," Tina smirked. "Maybe even more than kissed...?"

Sam averted his eyes, but the bright red blush that graced his cheeks and the tips of his ears told Tina everything she needed to know.

Letting out a shrill squeal, she shook him excitedly. "Oh my GOSH! Sam! You slept with her didn't you?"

"How do you just _know_ these things?" Sam sputtered staring at her incredulously.

"I'm very perceptive," Tina shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm good at noticing things... you know woman's intuition and all that crap..."

"Hey wait, I thought that was a gendering concept... Didn't you tell me 'women's intuition' doesn't exist"

"I meant Tina's intuition," Tina replied waving off his accusation. She knew he was just trying to throw her off her scent. Ever since she could remember, Tina always had an ability to sniff out good juicy gossip and this one right here was _definitely_ ripe with flavor. "Not all women have intuition, but Tina Cohen-Chang _certainly_ does!"

Sam nodded slowly, still staring back at her with his wide green eyes.

"Plus it was written all over your face," she teased, playfully pushing his shoulder.

Sam rubbed the back of his neck and pushed his hair out of his eyes.

"I won't tell anyone. My lips are sealed too." Tina mimicked his earlier motion, making Sam smile.

"Thanks. Otherwise Mercedes might drag my ass. I mean she never said not to tell anyone, but I think it was implied..."

"You didn't tell anyone...willingly anyway and I understand. I won't say a word. Your secret's safe with me," Tina smiled warmly. "I'm really really happy for you!"

"Thanks."

"No problem," she responded. "Now let's get back to these applications."

Sam groaned loudly and let out a frustrated sigh.

"Come on..." Tina gently prodded.

"Fine," Sam resigned turning back toward his application questions. "Let's do this."

Tina smiled before she turned toward her own work and continued to fill out her practice application.

XXXX

When Sam returned home and retired to his room for the night, he decided to call Mercedes up. She'd been on his mind all day after all.

"Hey Sammy," she'd said immediately after picking up.

"Hey," Sam replied as he lay down on his bed. "So no surprise visits tonight?"

"Oh is it a routine now?"

"I don't know Ms. Jones... You tell me..."

Mercedes chuckled, "Not tonight Sam. Unless you want to come over here instead."

"Oh no... Rumor has it that Papa Jones is back home and I'd like to keep my balls intact thank you very much!"

Mercedes giggled at that.

"And I know he has that shotgun loaded and personally, I think my body looks _much_ better _un_perforated.

"Okay, fine. I agree with you. We talked about you at dinner earlier..."

"Is that so?"

"Yup and he did say something about a shotgun..."

"See? Nope! Not taking the chance. I guess I'll just have to see you tomorrow," Sam sighed dramatically.

"Yea...I know" Mercedes pouted.

"Hey listen," Sam said suddenly. "So Tina was telling me earlier that there's this fair for fall fest going on..."

"Oh yea! My family used to go to those all the time back in the day!"

"Oh yea? Well how'd you like to go with me? It might be fun."

"Yea. It might be," Mercedes teased. "Just kidding! It'll be a blast! And I'd love to go with you!"

"Yayyyy!" Sam replied in a high-pitched squeal that sounded just like Sugar Motta.

Mercedes couldn't hold back her chuckle. He was so silly!

"So I'll see you again tomorrow?"

"Yup! More work to be done," Mercedes confirmed.

"This is the best week ever!"

"I agree," Mercedes replied, content.

"I'll let you sleep because I know you have a lot of work to do tomorrow. Good night Mercedes"

"Good night Sammy. I love you"

Sam paused for a moment, shocked that she'd actually said it first this time but he caught himself as a warm feeling swept over him. "I love you too," he replied. And he meant every word.

* * *

**LOVE IT? HATE IT? REVIEW!**


End file.
